Will justice prevail?
by Tina619
Summary: Karolina and Roman couldn't be more in love. But what would Karo's life be without trouble? This is about love, broken hearts, friendship & a lot of surprises. Will justice prevail or does Roman lose the strength to protect them from injustice ? – Sequel to "Please protect me from injustice" Roman Reigns x OC, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose x OC & many others.
1. Nothing will stop us now

**Will justice prevail?!**

Title: Will justice prevail?!

By: Tina619

Rating: NC-17, sexual content, adult themes, language,

Characters: Roman Reigns x OC, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose x OC and many other WWE superstars

Summary: Karolina and Roman couldn't be more in love. But what would Karo's life be without trouble? This is about love, broken hearts, friendship and a lot of surprises. Will justice prevail or does Roman lose the strength to protect them from injustice ? – **Sequel to "Please protect me from injustice" ( s/9046424/1/Please-protect-me-from-injustice).**

Disclaimer: I do not know or own any of the people in this story who are not born of my imagination. The characters of the WWE superstars are based off of their TV personas. I actually use their gimmick names and not their real-life names as this seems to be easier for everyone to read.

...

_**Here I am with the first chapter for the sequel to "Please protect me from injustice". I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I love writing it.**_

_**...**_

**Chapter 1: Nothing will stop us now**

"Here's to us," he said and clinked glasses with her, taking a sip of his wine.

Karolina. His beautiful Karolina. He was such a lucky man. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met and he couldn't get enough of her. He wouldn't want to miss any second he had spent with her.

"Happy anniversary, baby," she answered and smiled at him. "Can you believe it's been six months already?"

He smiled back at her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"And I love you more and more with each day passing by," he replied, his smile never leaving his face. He really could be cheesy, but he just couldn't help it. It was an emotional day for him. For them.

A lot had happened during the last few months. They had a rocky start. Things hadn't been easy to begin with. It took him a lot of strength to convince her that he was the man she needed by her side. They had been fighting, they had loved, they had cried tears and they had laughed. They'd stuck together through thick and thin.

Drew McIntyre was long forgotten. They didn't talk about him anymore that much. Yes, the asshole was the reason he'd actually met and got to know Karolina, but that didn't matter now. He'd found the love of his life and he didn't give a damn about how it had happened.

Roman and Seth were Tag Team Champions now while Dean had become the United States Champion. But the most important thing to him was that his girl had finally become the Divas Champion. It was like a dream coming true. They were at the top of the game, playing with the big dogs.

He can still remember how many tears she had cried after losing one match after another. She had to job to people like the Bellas, Aksana and most importantly: Eve. Just thinking about her made him sick to his stomach. Eve had been constantly bashing his girlfriend for no reason. She just liked torturing people and making them feel bad. And it made him even angrier knowing that Karo was so much better than all of them. She was such a talented wrestler and had worked her ass off each and every day.

He looked at her and let out a heavy sigh. She'd changed a lot. The other divas unintentionally had put her under so much pressure that she'd decided to work out even harder. She had lost weight, gained muscle mass. Not too much though. He had paid close attention and stopped her when he thought she would become too muscular. He wanted his woman to stay a woman.

She'd had wanted to be successful. And for her that meant that she had to be someone else. She had to look sexy, skinny...

Roman couldn't count how many times he had told her how beautiful she was. She wouldn't listen. She had been so self-conscious and insecure about her appearance that it hurt him to see her suffering so much.

But she was still his girl. She might have lost weight, but she was still the woman he fell in love with. She was still broad in the beam and her bust size hadn't changed. Just thinking about the way his hands kneaded her big breasts sent chills up and down his spine.

She could work out and lose as much weight as she wanted, she could never change who she was. A woman with a lot of curves. A real woman. HIS woman.

"What are you thinking about, honey?" she looked at him expectantly after noticing how lost in thought he seemed to be.

"You," he simply said and kissed her cheek softly. "You and everything that's happened within the last six months. You're such a strong woman, do you know that?"

Karo blushed and looked at him shyly. He still had the power to make her feel giddy when she was around him. She still felt like a teenage girl when he paid her compliments.

"Oh hush, you give me too much credit," she replied, shaking her head slightly. She'd never seen herself as a strong person. She'd always been insecure and cautious in certain situations. Especially after Drew.

He placed a sweet kiss on her lips, showing her that he meant it. Sometimes he just wasn't the man of many words. He often preferred letting his actions speak.

There was a comfortable silence between them. They just looked at each other and enjoyed the moment. They didn't even notice the people surrounding them in the restaurant. It was just Roman and Karolina.

Roman had made sure they had a booth in a quiet corner of the restaurant. He didn't want to be bothered when he was with his girl.

Another thing he was happy about was the fact that Karo finally had the courage to show everyone that they were in love. There had been times when fans or colleagues made fun of her or even insulted her. But she'd grown so much stronger. There had been that day when she woke up in the morning and decided to not give a fuck anymore. She loved Roman and if people couldn't handle that, then that was their problem, not hers.

She would hold hands with him, kiss him in public and just act like a girl who was crazy about her boyfriend. And she didn't care if people watched them.

She had also made a few friends recently. Apart from Kaitlyn, the one person who'd always had her back, it was Natalya, AJ, Layla and Cameron she now considered her friends. But it was Tamina Snuka and Naomi she had grown closest to. She had spent a lot of time with the latter two which was only natural. They were part of Roman's family and therefore also part of hers.

Speaking of family. He had finally met her parents and other family members. When they had been touring Europe two months ago, they'd decided to use their only two days off to visit her hometown in Germany. Although Roman had been in Munich before, he had never really seen anything of the city. But now he knew how beautiful it was. It was her home and everything that was in any way related to her was beautiful anyways.

Roman can still remember how nervous he had been when they had been standing in the front of her parents' house. Probably just as nervous as she had been when she first met his family.

But her parents and relatives had welcomed him so warmly that it still made his heart beat a little faster. They had instantly accepted him into the family and treated him just like any other family member. He had felt right at home. He'd felt home in a country he had barely visited before. She was home. She was the one person that made him feel at home wherever they were.

He could still remember the look on the face of Karo's mother. It made him chuckle. She had stared at him wide-eyed and smiled at him nervously. She had admitted later, when he'd helped her with the dishes, that he was so different compared to Karo's former boyfriends. She'd usually brought home the kind of guy Roman would define as 'typical German'. Blonde hair, blue eyes, being of slight build and not one bit close to his height. He had been surprised when her mother had taken him by the wrist and checked out his full sleeve tattoo. He'd known her mom wasn't a big fan of tattoos but she'd liked his, something that made Karo mad as her mother also kept whining about her daughter's tattoos and piercings.

Piercings. He immediately thought about that nipple piercing she had just gotten a few weeks ago. She had surprised him with it and now he wasn't only head over heels in love with her as a woman, but especially with her right nipple.

"What's so funny?" she asked and looked at him amused.

"Oh, the image of your nipple piercing just crossed my mind," he whispered into her ear and nibbled her earlobe.

"Oh really? You naughty little boy. Always having dirty thoughts, huh?" she asked quietly, giggling at the theatrically shocked expression on his face.

"Me? You know you're even more dirty than I am, babygirl," he answered and kissed her neck softly.

"Hmm, that's so true," she said and turned her head towards him so that she could whisper into his ear. "I'm not wearing any panties today, baby."

He looked at her surprised. All the blood he needed in order to process this information going straight into his boxers, almost making his cock hard.

"Tell me this isn't true," he panted, not believing she would ever leave anywhere without wearing underwear.

She just smirked at him, took his hand into hers and slowly moved it in between her legs. She lifted the fabric of her dress slightly and guided his hand to her mound, letting him touch her so that he could feel that she was indeed serious.

"Holy shit...baby..." he said, swallowing hard.

He could definitely not think straight anymore. Here he was, sitting in a nice restaurant with his beautiful girlfriend, celebrating their six-month anniversary. And she really had the nerve to tease him by not wearing any panties. She must hate him. If she loved him she wouldn't have done anything like that.

"You're so...wet. God, why are you doing this to me?" he asked, breathing in sharply when she moved his fingers to her clit, making him rub her slowly.

"Because I love you so much," she whispered, biting his neck gently and making her way to his earlobe, breathing into his ear heavily.

She let go of his hand and let him carry on. She tried really hard not to make it obvious that she was more than turned on. She was dripping wet now. Knowing that he was fingering her in the middle of a fancy restaurant with dozens of people surrounding them was more than just a little arousing.

"Would you like another glass of wine, Miss?" Roman looked back and forth between the waiter and his girlfriend in horror. He wanted to pull away but she immediately stopped him by pressing her legs together.

"Yes, please. Thank you for being so attentive, sir," she said and smiled at him sweetly.

"What the fuck are you doing, baby? He almost realized what I was doing..." Roman said quietly after seeing the waiter leave.

This was one of the most erotic things he had ever done. On one hand he felt the danger of getting caught, of anyone seeing them do this. But then on the other hand, this was exactly what turned him on so much. Just feeling the wetness in between her legs made him dizzy. He just imagined how it would feel like to be inside of her now.

That was something that had changed as well. Their sex life. When she had been shy at the beginning, letting him be the dominant part all the time, she had become more and more self-confident, taking the lead and seducing him. They had started talking about the _'do's and don'ts'_, about their fantasies and the things they'd always wanted to try.

There were still a few things he wanted to do with her. But they had still enough time for that. He knew she sometimes just wanted him to make love to her. There were these days when they would just have slow and gentle sex which could last for hours. He loved those days and nights. He always felt so close to her in those moments.

And then there were those times when she wanted it dirty and rough. He would push her against as wall, take her from behind and slap her ass. He loved when she yelped in surprise and pain. He loved the sound of their bodies slamming against each other.

"God, I'm so hard, baby," he said, his breath shallow now.

He kept rubbing her clit furiously before slowly moving his fingers down and pushing two of them inside of her. She took a deep breath, trying to keep a straight face when she watched the waiter approaching them with her wine.

"Thank you very much," she politely said when he smiled at her, a slightly confused look on his face when he noticed that she was out of breath.

After the waiter left again, Roman chuckled to himself when he saw the heat rising into her cheeks, making her blush. But he immediately stopped when he felt her hand on his crotch, softly massaging his erection through his dress pants.

"Can you tell me how I'm supposed to leave the fucking building now?" he hissed, clenching his jaw in order to choke down a moan.

"Don't even think about going anywhere before making me cum," she whispered, the look in her eyes reflecting pure lust and desire.

He swallowed hard, moving his fingers in and out of her even faster now, but soon realized that this was way too obvious for people to realize that he was fucking his girlfriend with his hand.

He moved up again, taking her clit in between his thumb and index fingers, rubbing it in between them. She let out a soft moan which was immediately silenced by his kiss.

"Shh. You don't want to attract too much attention, do you?" he looked at her intently, making her whole body shiver.

She could feel the sensation that was building up in her abdomen, covering her whole body with goose bumps. He could feel her tensing up, encouraging him to rub the little bundle of nerves even faster.

"Roman..." she panted, moving closer to him and resting her head in the crook of his neck. "I'm coming."

He now used two of his fingers and rubbed her swollen nub incredibly quick. As soon as he felt her whole body quiver, he stopped his movements, knowing that she was extremely sensitive after having an orgasm which made every touch a torture. But not a sweet one at that.

He kissed her forehead and smiled to himself. She was such a dirty girl sometimes. And he loved that about her.

"Now that I made you come, what are we going to do with my little friend down there?" he asked while pointing to his crotch which was still covered with one of her hands. It was pretty obvious that he had an erection and he sure as hell knew it wouldn't just go away that easily.

"Hm, I guess your SUV is big enough for us to have a little fun in it, what do you think?" she smiled at him mischievously, gently squeezing his hard cock through his pants.

"You have to go in front of me, baby," he said while motioning to the waiter that he wanted the bill.

He needed to get out of that restaurant as fast as he could. He would throw her on the back seat and plunge himself into her so that the whole fucking city could hear her scream. He didn't care. He was horny as hell.

After paying the bill, Karolina stood up and waited for him to stand right behind her so that she could lead the way out of the building. She had his hand in hers, dragging him towards the door and giggling at him when they finally reached his car.

He shoved her back against the SUV, pressing his groin against her and letting her feel his erection.

"See what you did there? You need to take care of this now, got it?" He looked at her expectantly, his voice even deeper now than it normally was.

She loved that about him. The demanding tone in his voice, the way he talked dirty to her. She could get off only by hearing his heated words. The effect he had on her was indescribable.

They had parked the car in a dark alley close to the restaurant, with just a couple more vehicles a few feet away from them.

Roman looked around and smiled at her contentedly after realizing that they were alone. He leaned against the car with his back, pushing her down on her knees in front of him.

"Are you gonna suck me off, sweetheart? Come on, make your man fuck your mouth," he said, making her even wetter than she had been before. This is exactly what she meant. His dirty words, his dominating behaviour.

She unbuckled his belt, unzipped his dress pants and pushed them down a little. Just enough to release his erection from his boxers, grasping it and making him moan out loud. She licked away the precum that had built on the tip of his cock and smiled at him after doing so. She knew he loved that. He loved when she acted all innocent when she did something as dirty as this. She took him in inch by inch, letting her tongue piercing trail over his hard length.

"Deeper, baby. Let me go even deeper," he groaned, grabbing the back of her head and pushing his hips towards her, making her gag slightly. He looked at her in concern quickly, checking if she was choking but relieved when he saw that she started stroking him.

He let go of her, letting her do the magic and enjoying the feeling of her tongue and hands pleasuring his dick. He closed his eyes, chewing on his bottom lip and trying to suppress the need to moan out loud. She started massaging his balls, suddenly making him open his eyes again and stare into hers.

She released him from her mouth, making him watch her while she traced her tongue up and down his now throbbing length, at the same time still massaging his balls. She could tell by the way he felt in her hand that he was close. She had no idea if he wanted to come in her mouth, so she just kept going, waiting for him to give her orders.

"You have no idea how sexy you look when you're sucking me off, baby," he said, trying to catch his breath. Just by looking at her, kneeling in front of him with that short dress that was barely covering her ass in that position would be enough to make him come. He always had that fantasy of coming all over her face, but right now wasn't the best time for that.

He grabbed her hair and slightly pulled at it, making her stand on her two feet again.

"Let's get in the backseat. I wanna come inside of your pussy," he whispered into her ear before biting her shoulder gently.

He opened the car and held the door open for her, letting her enter first. He followed her shortly afterwards, sitting down and taking her hand into his, pulling her close to him so that she would sit astride on his lap. He could feel her wetness close to his cock, making him even more impatient.

"You wanna feel me, baby? You wanna have my hard cock deep inside your sweet pussy?"

The way he looked at her made her shiver. He was so different compared to the person he normally was. He was a calm, kind and humble human being. He only lost his temper whenever somebody really fucked up or pissed him off. But right now, in situations like these, he was an animal. He was driven by passion and lust. He would never hurt her. Never on purpose. And she liked him like that. She liked that part of him just as much as she liked his soft and gentle part.

"I wanna ride you, baby. Let me make you feel good," she said, still having trouble saying out loud what she really wanted and desired. Some things would probably never change.

She lowered herself onto him, taking him in slowly until he fully filled her. She loved the feeling of having him inside of her. He completed her like nobody else had done before. Her pussy felt perfect around his cock.

"God...that feels so good," she moaned and started moving her hips slowly.

Roman pulled down her strapless dress, just enough to expose her bra and unhooking it on her back. He wanted to feel her breasts. He wanted to knead them and taste them. He threw her bra across the car, making it end up somewhere in the front of it. While she sped up, he leaned back and watched her intently. She was a sight for sore eyes. Especially when he was fucking her. There was something in her eyes whenever he did. The way she bit her lip and moaned made him go crazy. Making it even worse when she started kneading her own breasts. She was lost in another world. Lost in him.

He started massaging her tits while at the same time moving his crotch against hers, thrusting in her even deeper. Although he wanted this to last forever, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back too much longer. He had been close before and her steady and fast rhythm didn't make things easier for him.

He straightened up a little, circling her right nipple with his tongue, teasing her piercing by doing so, while at the same time rubbing her left one in between his thumb and index finger. A moan escaped her lips, making her lift her body so that he slid out of her completely just to lower herself onto him again.

"Fuck...baby..." he panted, throwing himself against the back rest again. He licked his lips, starting to rub her clit with his thumb once again. She knew that this could only mean that he was close, that he wanted to increase her pleasure so that she would come with him together.

She quickened her pace, not able to control her movements anymore. He could feel that her body was tensing up, her walls tightening around his cock.

"Cum for me baby, come on," he encouraged her, digging his nails into her hips and thrusting into her harder.

"God...oh God...Roman...baby...I'm cumming," she panted, screaming his name out loud and thereby getting him over the edge as well.

"Babygirl...ohh...damn..."

His last thrust was powerful and intense, making his heart almost explode in his chest. She collapsed on top of him, resting her head on his shoulder while trying to catch her breath.

She looked so beautiful. He thought she was beautiful in every way possible, but right now in this very moment she was beautiful the most. Sharing this intimate moment with each other, him still inside of her, not wanting to lose the connection to her. They felt so close to each other. These were the moments they cherished the most.

"Here's to the next six months," he said, moving his hips so that he could thrust into her one last time, making her giggle.

She sat up and looked at him with so much love in her eyes that it almost brought tears to his eyes. She cupped his face with her hands, moving her head closer to his and closing the distance between them by pressing her lips onto his, kissing him passionately.

"I love you, champ," she said and smiled at him.

"And I love you, championess," he replied, running a hand through her messy hair.

Now he wasn't the animal anymore. He was Roman. The man Karolina loved with everything she had.


	2. Things Are Changin'

_**Hi everyone!**_

_**I'm soooo sorry that you all had to wait so long for the new chapter.**_

_**But I guess I have some pretty good excuses.**_

_**Two weeks ago I got married and just a few days later me and my husband moved to a new apartment. So I was veeeery busy. **_

_**I hope you forgive me and keep reading.**_

_**Here is a new chapter for you all. Things will change ;-) **_

_**Enjoy and review. :)**_

Chapter 2: Things Are Changin'

With a cup of coffee in her right hand and her bag over her left shoulder, Karolina made her way to the Shield's locker room early on Friday morning.

Although she had finally found a few friends amongst the other divas, she still felt more comfortable whenever she was with her boys. Yes, they were indeed her boys and she loved them to death. Of course with Roman being the most important one of them. She loved him with all her heart. She had grown so much closer to Seth as well. Even when they had a few days off, she still talked to him on the phone every day. He was her best friend. The bestest friend she'd ever had.

It was more difficult to have that kind of relationship with Dean though. But that was understandable. He was the complete opposite of Seth and whenever he had vacation, he spent his time with Shannon. It was a surprise to all of them that Dean and Shannon were indeed dating now.

Karo had been sure from the very beginning that they were meant to be together, but with Dean being a stubborn asshole, she had no idea they would really find love. She was glad they had. They were a cute couple. Different, but still very adorable.

She knocked on the door and entered the room without waiting for someone to react. She was tired and just wanted to hit the couch and get a nap. She hadn't slept a lot the night before as she got a late-night call of one of her friends in Germany who was suffering from heartache. Different time zones were killing her sometimes.

"Morning guys," she mumbled and put her coffee cup on the table while throwing her bag in a corner.

She was about to crash on the couch to cuddle with Seth when someone cleared their throat.

"Good morning to you too, sweetie," the person said and Karo immediately knew who it was.

"SHANNON," she screamed, wide awake now. She jumped into her friend's arms and hugged her tightly.

They hadn't seen each other in a while as Karo was busy representing the WWE as the women's champion while spending her free time with Roman whenever she could.

"Hey there! I missed you so much," Shannon whispered into her friend's ear and tightened the hug once more before gently letting her go.

"Whatcha doing here?" Karo asked, looking back and forth between Shannon and Dean who was smirking mischievously.

"This guy right here...," she pointed at Dean before she continued "...made sure I lost my job at the diner. Always trying his best to make me late for my shift and stuff. My boss was more than pissed off, as you can imagine."

Karo looked at her friend confused which made her giggle.

"Uhm...and that's why you're here now?" She had no idea what the connection between losing her job and being there with them was.

Shannon sighed and grabbed Dean's hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Well, Dean wants me to spend more time with him and we decided that I should tour with you guys. I've already started with that children's book I told you about," she said and smiled at her friend, looking at her a little unsure.

"But...uhm...how are you gonna do this? I mean, you haven't finished the book and you don't really earn money and..." Karo started but was immediately interrupted by Dean.

"I'll take care of her, princess. Don't worry. I just want my girl to be with me. Even if that means that I have to provide for her. One day she'll be selling books like a best-selling author and then she'll provide for me," he said and chuckled.

Karo watched as Dean and Shannon exchanged a loving look, making her heart jump. They were ridiculously adorable.

"Oh my God, that's so awesome," she said and hugged her friend and Dean both at the same time.

"Yeah, so awesome," Seth mumbled, not very amused.

He was the only one without a girlfriend and although he was very close to his friends, he would always be the odd one out whenever they went out or something. He hated that. As much as he loved his friends, he hated to be the only one alone while all the others made out next to him and the only thing he put his lips on was a bottle of beer.

"Oh come on, don't be such a wimp," Karo said, pinching his cheeks before kissing them.

He theatrically wiped them and acted disgusted like a little boy would after his mom kissed his cheeks when dropping him off at school.

Karo turned around when she heard Roman yawn. He was just as tired as she was and she was more than sorry about that. He wasn't able to sleep with Karo being on the phone for two hours straight. Not only because she was making noises, but because he had a hard time falling asleep without her being in his arms. They were inseparable. Not a day went by without them being together. The only time they spent apart from each other was when Karo was with Seth.

At the beginning it had been tough for him to understand that his girlfriend and one of his best friends were that close. He had never believed that a woman and a man could just be friends without one of them having feelings for the other one.

But he trusted them. He knew they would never do something that would hurt him. Karo was his soul mate, Seth was his best friend. Neither one of them would make a move or even think about having sex with the other person.

Karo moved closer to Roman and wrapped her arms around his midsection, placing her head on his chest and listening to his steady heartbeat.

"I'm sorry for keeping you awake, honey," she said and looked up at him with her big blue eyes he loved so much.

"Don't worry about it, babygirl," he answered and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

They stared into each other's eyes and were lost in their own world once again. It was funny that after more than six months that still happened, but they were madly in love with each other. She had to thank Roman for making her a better woman. He made her feel loved, safe and self-confident. Of course she still had insecurities, but compared to just a few months ago, she was a changed person. Whenever she felt ugly, he would show her just how beautiful she was. Whenever she was sad, he would make her smile. He was her everything. Her world. And he felt just the same.

You would think that Roman would be full of himself. He was gorgeous, sexy and one of the most handsome man walking on planet earth. And although he knew that he wasn't a bad-looking guy, he would never act like he was something special. Karolina would never understand why he was so self-critical sometimes. He was such humble person.

It was funny that both of them were afraid of losing the other one because there might be someone better for them. Karo thought Roman was perfect. And Roman thought that she was. There was nothing to worry about.

"Okay okay, stop it now, aight?" Seth said when both couples started making out. "I think I have to puke."

Karo and Shannon both giggled while Dean and Roman only raised an eyebrow at their friend before bursting out laughing.

"We need to find a girl for Rollins," Dean said and gave him the 'loser sign', making Seth angry.

He knew his friends didn't mean to hurt him, but he was sick of being alone. He didn't want them to find a girl for him. He would do it himself. But then again he didn't want just a girl. He wanted someone special. Someone that would understand him. Someone that loved him for who he was. Accept him the way he was. He needed someone who shared the same interests and who was his soul mate.

...

"Roman, can we stop here? I need to pee," Karo looked at her boyfriend nervously, knowing he was about to lose his nerve.

"Babe, this is the third time in an hour that you have to pee. What the fuck is it?" he asked and groaned.

She just shrugged her shoulders, smiling at him innocently. She knew he was tired and wanted to get to the hotel as soon as he could. If it hadn't been for Karo constantly feeling the need to pee or get some fresh air, they would have been in the hotel room by now. He stopped at the gas station and rubbed his eyes.

"Hurry up, okay? I'll get something to eat and drink. Well...nothing to drink for you though. Don't want to stop again in 20 miles," he said and winked at her.

She just rolled her eyes and got out of the car, running to the bathroom as she felt like her bladder was about to explode. Just a few minutes later she came back to the car. Roman was already waiting for her and had a huge smile on his face.

"Look what I got for you," he said and handed her a bag of 'Gummibären' which was the German equivalent to the American jelly bears. He knew she loved them and they hardly ever found them anywhere in the States.

He had already opened the bag and snuck some of them because he knew that otherwise she would eat them all by herself. At first she beamed at him and looked at the candy excitedly before she suddenly got all pale and pushed the bag away from her.

"Oh God, that smells awful. Please...just take 'em away," she choked a little and turned her head away, opening the window quickly.

"But babe, you love them. What's wrong?" He checked the BBD and shrugged his shoulders. They smelled and tasted like they always did.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't know. I guess I'm pretty stressed out. We hardly ever have a day off at the moment. I'm tired and exhausted. All we do is eat junk food and candy. I'm just sick of it, I guess," she said, taking a deep breath.

She loved being the diva's champion but with both of them being champions, they had a lot of promotional stuff to do. They only slept 3 to 4 hours each night, eating on the way to different interviews and photo shoots.

He placed a hand on her thigh and caressed it gently, looking at her sympathetically. "Why don't you just close your eyes and try to rest a little?" he asked before kissing her forehead softly.

She smiled at him and nodded her head. He was the best boyfriend she could ask for. He knew exactly how she was feeling and what she needed to feel better. It was like he could read her mind.

She pecked his lips quickly and leaned back on the passenger seat, slowly closing her eyes. Maybe a short nap would make her feel better. She had a match that night and needed to be fully concentrated. As much as she loved wrestling, sometimes she hated what it did to her body and mind. But she would never stop. She was living her dream after all.

...

It was Monday again and that only meant that it was time for Monday Night RAW.

Roman, Seth and Dean would attack Big Show and Mark Henry while Karolina had a match against Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn had won a battle royal and had become the number 1 contender for the diva's championship. Although this wasn't going to be a title match, they wanted to give their fans one hell of a show.

It was still an hour to go until they had their match, but Kaitlyn had a few things she wanted to talk to Karo about. She had ideas for some new moves and wanted to ask her friend if she wanted to go for them.

As she hadn't been in the Shield's locker room, Kaitlyn made her way to the diva's locker room to hopefully find her there. She opened the door and entered the room but nobody could be seen. Most of them were probably at catering or running around somewhere else.

She wanted to turn around when she suddenly heard someone sniffling.

"Who's there?" she called out and went further into the room. She turned the corner and found Karo sitting on the ground, her head buried in her hands.

"Sweetie, what is it?" Kaitlyn hurried over to her friend and sat next down to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Any trouble with Roman?"

Karo just shook her head and looked at her friend sadly.

"No, everything's fine with him. It's just me," she whispered in between sobs. She wiped away her tears and stood up, watching as Kaitlyn got up as well.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, looking at her crying friend confused.

"Oh come on, K. Don't' you fucking see it?" She scoffed, turning around and looking into the mirror disgusted.

"See what?" Kaitlyn shook her head and raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what Karo was talking about and she honestly wasn't in the mood for guessing games.

"I don't fucking fit in my freaking gear anymore. I gained weight again. I'm fat," she answered, a new wave of tears building in her eyes.

Kaitlyn moved closer to her friend and looked her up and down intently.

She stopped at her breasts and frowned. Although she couldn't see that Karo had gained too much weight, she could clearly see that her breasts almost fell out of her top.

"I can barely breathe," Karo said and looked down at herself. She had no idea how she squeezed herself into that top, but her boobs were pressed together so much that the thin fabric almost tore to tatters. Not to mention that she wasn't able to button up her pants.

"Look, that doesn't mean anything. Maybe it shrunk in the washing machine or something. Who knows? It's no big deal. Let's just go to Sandra and she'll take care of it and make it bigger again," she said and patted her friend's shoulder.

Karo just nodded her head and rubbed her eyes. She had worked so hard in order to lose weight and now all this junk food made her fat again.

If Roman knew that she called herself fat, he would throw her over his knee and spank the shit out of her. She wasn't fat. She was curvy. A real woman. He hadn't wanted her to lose weight in the first place as he loved her the way she was but she wouldn't listen.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. No more junk food, no more candy. Her life needed to change. And it would change a lot.

...

A few days later, Karolina was sitting on the hotel room bed staring at her cell phone. Roman was in the gym and she was all by herself. It was fine for her. She enjoyed being alone sometimes. But right now she needed to be with someone. She needed to talk to someone.

She didn't know if he was the right person for this but after debating for a few minutes, she just pushed the 'call' button and waited for him to pick up.

"Hey babe, how's it?" Just hearing his cheerful voice put a smile on her face. He was indeed the right person for this.

"Hi Sethie. I...uhm...are you busy?" she asked, stuttering a little.

"Sure, what it is, sweetie?" he asked, sensing that she seemed to be a little nervous.

"Can you come over to our hotel room real quick? Roman's in the gym right now and I need to talk to you about something," she replied, swallowing hard.

"I'll be right there," he quickly said and immediately hung up the phone.

He knew her too well and was sure that something was wrong. He just hoped that she didn't fight with Roman. Or that something else bothered her. He wanted her to be happy. And healthy.

Seth's eyes widened when he thought about that. Maybe she wasn't healthy. Maybe she was ill. She had told him about her not wanting to eat sometimes as she had been suffering from some kind of stomach ache for a while now.

He remembered doing a little research on the Internet regarding her symptoms and he found some pretty bad things. Cancer, for example. He swallowed hard and made his way to her quickly. She sounded so nervous. He didn't want her to be alone for too long.

It took him only a few minutes until he reached her hotel room. Right after he knocked on her door, she opened it with a weak smile on her face.

"You ok, baby? I'm worried," he said and looked at her in concern.

She was really pale and her cheeks looked sunken. She was sick. He just knew it.

"I am. I guess," she replied and sighed. "Come in."

She opened the door a little wider and let him enter the room. The tension was unbearable. The silence killed him and he nervously licked his lips. Thousands of thoughts rushed through his mind. It was scary.

"Seth, I need your support with this now," she said and took his hand into hers and dragged him to the bathroom.

He frowned but nodded his head, following her without saying another word. She seemed to be tensed up, he could feel it by the way she was holding his hand. She sat down at the edge of the bathtub and motioned for him to sit down next to her.

"God, Karolina. What's the matter? This is driving me insane," he said, looking at her expectantly.

She sighed heavily and broke the eye-contact. Right in this moment she wasn't sure anymore if he was the person she needed right now. She would put him in a difficult situation and she didn't want him to lie or hide things. Especially not from his best friend. Roman.

"Look...uhm...I trust you, ok? I ask for you to keep this our secret for now, ok?" She looked at him hopefully and was relieved to see him nod his head.

"You remember I told you about the pain I was...I am in, right?" she continued, waiting for him to nod his head again. "Well, it's not only that. I'm not sure if I just imagine things, but...you know...I've been tired, moody, I need to pee constantly, I don't fit into my shirts and bras anymore as my boobs feel swollen...," she explained, watching him intently and hoping he would understand what she was trying to say.

"Are you sick? Do you have a severe sickness?" he shrieked, the look in his eyes reflecting fear.

Karo looked at him surprised. He thought she was sick? Sometimes he really needed a long time to understand things. She thought she made it clear enough but it didn't seem so. She just shook her head and took the paper bag that was on the floor. She gave it to him and waited for him to open it.

He glanced at her quickly before opening it and taking out its content. His eyes widened when he saw what he was carrying in his hands now. This couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Once again he looked at her in shock. He wasn't able to form a coherent sentence. He just didn't know what to say. He was speechless.

"I think I'm pregnant, Seth," she whispered, taking the pregnancy tests from him and putting them in the basin.

"I don't wanna be alone after taking them. I want somebody to be with me when I read the results," she continued when he remained silent.

Seth just nodded his head and tried to smile at her but he failed miserably. He wasn't sure what to feel or think. What if she was really pregnant? What would happen then? Would she keep the baby? Would she abort it? Everything would change. Between her and Roman. Between him and her. Between everyone.

"Was...uh...was this planned?" he asked and looked at her unsure when he heard her sigh heavily.

"Planned? Seth, Roman and I have only been dating for about seven months. We're on top of our game. Do you really think we've planned this?" she scoffed.

She immediately regretted barking at him. It wasn't his fault that she was scared of what was to come. He was there for her when she most needed him and she should be thankful for that.

"I'm sorry," she said and took his hand into hers, squeezing it. "I understand if you want to leave now."

Seth just shook his head and kissed her hand. He would never leave her. He would always have her back. Just as much as she would always have his. No matter what. She was his best friend. The most important woman in his life. He would never forgive himself if he just left.

"I'll stay. Just take these tests. I'll wait outside and come in again when you're done, ok? I'll be right here when the results are there, k?" He squeezed her hand and stood up, making his way out of the room and closing the door behind him.

He was sure she didn't need him to hold her hand while she was peeing on those things. She had bought three of them. Probably wanting to be 100% sure that they all said the same.

His hands were all sweaty. He was nervous as hell. He felt honoured she considered him such a close friend that she wanted him to be there for her. Normally he thought she would ask Shannon or even Kaitlyn. But she had chosen him.

"You can come in again," she said after a short while, interrupting his thoughts.

She looked just as nervous as he did. Of course she would. There was so much more on the line for her than for him. She would lose the diva's championship. She had to stop wrestling during the pregnancy. Maybe she would never wrestle again afterwards. Who knew?

"What if you're really pregnant, sweetheart?" he asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.

"Honestly? I don't know. I don't even know how Roman would take it. We've never really talked about this whole thing. Sure, we said we wanted to have kids in the future but most definitely not now. Maybe he would be mad at me or something. Maybe he'll accuse me of having this planned. I don't know," she said and sighed.

"Uhm...how could this happen anyways?" he asked, not being able to look into her eyes.

"Well...you know how this works, right? Or do I need to explain this thing with the bees and..." she started but stopped when she saw the annoyed look on his face.

"You know exactly what I meant, Karolina. As far as I know you're on the pill," he mumbled, making her swallow hard.

"I am. And actually I'm always careful, you know that. I must have forgotten that antibiotics make the pill ineffective," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

About two months ago she'd had a very bad cold and the doctor had prescribed her antibiotics for her angina. She must have forgotten to use condoms with Roman the following two weeks. That's the only thing that could be the reason for all this mess now. It was as simple as it was.

Minutes felt like hours. It was unbearable to keep waiting. They both sat there in silence, hand in hand. He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, trying to calm her down.

When her cell phone beeped, she knew it was time. Five minutes were over. It was now or never. She looked at Seth unsure, not knowing what to do. She wanted to know so badly if she was pregnant or not, but at the same time she was afraid.

"Do you want me to check?" he asked, sensing that she didn't have the courage to do so.

"Let's...let's do this together, ok?" she asked, the look in her eyes reflecting insecurity.

He nodded his head in approval and stood up. He let go of her and made his way over to the sink where she had placed the pregnancy tests.

"You ready?" he asked and looked at her expectantly.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she said quietly, moving so that she was standing next to him.

Once again he took her hand into his and kissed her cheek. He wanted her to know that she wasn't alone. That no matter what he was there for her.

They both bent down a little and checked the pregnancy tests one by one. Karo was the first one to straighten up again. At first she didn't show any kind of emotion. She seemed to be numb, like in a state of trance. Then suddenly she burst out into tears. Without any warning. Just like that.

Seth didn't know what to do. He had no idea if those were happy or sad tears. What was he supposed to say now? Should he just hug her? Should he wait for another kind of reaction?

"Seth, I can't believe it," she started, tears streaming down her face. "I'm pregnant."

Slowly a small smile spread across her face. She seemed to be happy. She seemed to want that baby. She was going to be a mother.

"A baby...," she said, covering her mouth with her free hand. "It's...wow."

All of a sudden she wrapped her arms around his midsection and started sobbing, wetting his shirt with her tears.

"I...I'm afraid, Seth. But I can't deny that I'm happy at the same time," she whispered, pulling him even closer to her.

She was happy he was there with her. She needed him. She wanted him to be the first one to know. She would tell Roman as soon as possible. But she wanted to see a gynaecologist beforehand anyways as she wanted to be sure that she was indeed pregnant. Why bother him if those tests were wrong?

"Congratulations, sweetheart," he whispered into her ear before kissing the top of her head.

Seth wasn't sure if he really meant what he just said. Because right in the moment the tests confirmed that she was pregnant, his whole world was crashing down on him. He was heartbroken. He was hurt.

He felt bad for feeling this way, but while holding her hand and seeing that she was having another man's baby, he realized that he felt more for her than just friendship.

He had always tried to fight his feelings and he had succeeded until now. He wanted her in his life. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. He didn't want to lose her or even Roman.

But now all he felt was emptiness. It was like he had really lost her. He loved her. More than he actually should. And now the love of his life was having a baby. And it wasn't his.


	3. Heartache vs Heartbeat

**I have another chapter for you today. **

**I would like to thank you for your amazing reviews. They make me so happy.**

**I actually like where this story is going and it felt good to have you all surprised about the pregnancy and Seth ;-)**

**So, enjoy the next chapter and review if you can :-)**

Chapter 3: Heartache vs. Heartbeat

Seth was sitting on the king-size bed of his hotel room, all by himself. Since Roman and Karo shared a room and Dean was with Shannon now, he was all alone. He was lonely. The odd one out.

He looked down and stared at the pregnancy tests in front of him. Karolina had asked him to take them with him to throw them away so that Roman wouldn't see them. She wanted to see a doctor to have the confirmation that she was really pregnant. She wanted to surprise Roman.

Seth wasn't sure if he wanted Roman to freak out and tell her to get rid of the baby. He felt guilty for even thinking that, but he couldn't help it.

As much as he wanted to fight them, tears were streaming down his face. Never in his life had he felt more heartbroken and empty. It was today that he realized that his feelings for Karo were more than just about a friendship. He loved her. She knew he loved her and she loved him. But not in the way he wanted and needed it.

All those months he had been sure that she was just his best friend. He had told himself over and over again. Maybe being so close to her wasn't a good thing after all.

He remembered the times they had cuddled with each other while listening to their favourite bands. The times they had talked about everything and anything. The times he had made her laugh by tickling her. The times he had placed kisses all over her face and even her neck. Things he had done as a friend. He knew everything about her. Her deepest secrets. He probably knew her better than Roman did.

He took the pregnancy tests and threw them against the wall before breaking down. He buried his face into his hands, letting the tears fall down. He was sick of being strong. He was hurt. Fuck the people who say big boys don't cry. He wanted to cry. He wanted to cry his heart out. He felt miserable.

And the worst thing was that he couldn't even talk to anyone about it. Not Dean, not Shannon and most definitely not to Roman. He had to get over this on his own.

She was pregnant. She was having a baby.

He swallowed hard. He had to forget about her. But how could he when she was around 24/7?

_I just wanna die_, he thought to himself as he realized that his life was a complete mess.

...

Karo knew that it was about damn time she went to see a doctor. Morning sickness was starting to set in and she had a hard time hiding from Roman that she was throwing up constantly.

Seth had not been in touch much since the day they found out she was pregnant. But she didn't think too much about it. He probably didn't want to blurt out the truth before she had. It was understandable. He was keeping her biggest secret and by spending time with her and their friends, he was probably afraid he would just spill the beans.

Karo was standing in front of Dean's and Shannon's room, knocking on the door. She didn't want to go alone to find out that her pregnancy was real. She wanted to have someone by her side. And as Seth was in the gym with Roman and Dean, she wanted it to be Shannon.

"Hey babe, how's it?" Shannon asked while hugging her friend tightly.

"Can I come in for a second?" Karo asked with a weak smile on her face. She was excited to tell her friend about the news. She was sure Shannon would freak out.

She just nodded her head and opened the door a little wider, letting her enter. She sensed that something was up and frowned at her friend who seemed to look a little pale.

"You ok, hun?" she asked and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Uhm...yeah...I guess," she stuttered after sitting down on the bed, looking at her hands which were folded in her lap. "Shannon, there is something I need to tell you."

Shannon looked at Karo worried. It looked as if she was sick or something. She just nodded her head and thereby motioned for her to go on.

"Okay, I'll get right to the point. I think I'm pregnant. Me and Seth took some pregnancy tests a few days ago and they all were positive," she said and was relieved to see a big smile spread across her friend's face.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT?" she screamed and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Shh, shut up. I don't want the whole roster to know, goddammit," she scolded and blushed.

"Oh my God! This is so exciting, Karo. Does Roman know already?" she asked, sitting down next to her friend.

"No, not yet. That's why I'm here. I wanted to go and see a gynaecologist so that I can be a hundred percent sure. Uhm...I wanted to ask if you would like come with me," she looked at her friend unsure but smiled when Shannon nodded her head frantically.

"Of course I would. God...that's so awesome. I told Dean yesterday that I thought you looked fat. Now it all makes sense," she said and took her purse, not realizing the shocked expression on Karo's face.

"I look fat?" she asked dumbfounded. It was true. She didn't just imagine things. Kaitlyn was lying to her. As if the washing machine shrunk her clothes. Yeah, right.

"Oh, come on, babe. You know I don't mean it like that. I have a big mouth," she said and giggled, taking Karo's hand into hers and dragging her out of the room. "Let's go and see your baby," she continued and hugged her friend once again. She seemed to be happier about the pregnancy than Karo was. It was adorable.

...

Karolina and Shannon were sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Arnold's office. Although he was fully booked, he took the time to do some tests to find out if Karo's assumptions were really true. As they were yet in another city, she didn't know the doctor and therefore felt a little uncomfortable but it had to be done.

"Ms Karolina Schneider?" the nurse called out and together Karo and Shannon stood up and followed the nurse into the doctor's examination room.

"Have a seat, Ms Schneider," he said with a smile on his face.

Karo just nodded her head and sat down before letting out a heavy sigh. Shannon took her friend's hand and squeezed it lightly, showing her that she wasn't alone.

"Well, we have the results of the blood and urine tests here and...," he looked through a few documents before putting them down and taking off his glasses. "Congratulations, you are pregnant."

Karo swallowed hard and looked at Shannon who had tightened the grip on her hand now.

"You're having a baby, Karo. Oh my God, that's so exciting," she yelped, a huge smile on her face.

Karo couldn't help but shed a few happy tears. She was afraid and happy at the same time. Although the tears were streaming down her face, she still felt numb. It felt as if all of this wasn't real. As if she was dreaming and about to wake up.

"I would like to check if the baby is ok. You want to see it yourself?" the doctor asked and motioned to the ultrasonic device which was in the corner of the room.

She nodded her head excitedly and stood up in order to make her way over to the examination area.

Dr Arnold pushed up her shirt a little after she laid down, exposing her stomach which wasn't showing a baby bump yet. As Karo had never had a flat stomach, you couldn't tell if she was pregnant or not. Just as Shannon had thought before, you could simply say she gained a little weight.

"So, there isn't really a lot to see for you, I guess," the doctor said and chuckled while he moved the device all over her stomach.

"This right here is the head," he said and pointed to a little dot on the monitor.

Another wave of tears streamed down Karo's face. That was her baby. She was pregnant. She was having Roman's baby.

"How far is she, doc?" Shannon asked, speaking for Karolina as she knew that her friend was speechless and couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"According to the tests and the way it looks right here, she must be about 9 weeks into the pregnancy," he answered, pushing some buttons on his device and printing out pictures.

Karo just watched the monitor in awe, not believing that this was indeed her baby. She couldn't wait to tell Roman. She just hoped he would be just as happy as she was. She knew this wasn't planned and maybe this wasn't the right time for them to have a baby, but when was the right time? She loved Roman with everything she had and a baby would be the product of their love for each other.

"Okay, you can clean up and get dressed again," Dr Arnold said and handed her a few tissues before moving back to his desk where he filled in a few documents.

"The nurse will give you a maternity card in a few minutes. Please always carry it with you. You need to see a doctor again in about 2 to 3 weeks. These appointments are very important now. Especially in the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy," he said and stood up, extending his hand which Karo took with a smile.

"Thanks a lot, doctor," she said, her eyes still wet from crying.

"All the best for you, Ms Schneider," he answered and nodded his head.

Karo and Shannon remained silent on their way out of the doctor's office but as soon as they exited the building, they both started screaming and hugged each other tightly while jumping and down.

"Oh my God, you're having a little Roman," Shannon yelped and laughed, making Karo giggle. She was the happiest woman on planet earth, without a question.

"I can't wait to tell him. But I wanna make it special. I still have to think of something," she replied, a huge smile spreading across her face.

She took out her cell phone and searched for Seth's number. She wanted him to know. He was the one that was by her side when she took those pregnancy tests and apart from Shannon, he should be the first one to know that it was really true.

_*Hey Sethie! Just been to the doctor's and he confirmed that I'm pregnant. I even have some ultrasound pics. Can't wait to show them to you. But shh, don't tell Roman ;-) Luv ya, Karo xx*_

"Let's go and celebrate...with some water," Karo said and giggled, taking her friend's hand and making her way over to the car. As much as she wanted to drink some champagne, she knew that she wasn't responsible only for herself anymore. She was going to be a mother. And she wanted her baby to be healthy.

...

Seth swallowed hard when he read her text message. It was true. She was indeed pregnant. He looked around, seeing that Roman was approaching him. He quickly shoved his cell phone into his sweat pants and gave his best friend a fake smile.

"You okay, man? I don't know but you look a little sad," Roman said and sat down next to his buddy on the bench in the locker room of the gym.

Dean was already in the shower which was a good thing. Seth knew Dean would mock him whenever something was bothering him, not even caring why Seth felt the way he did.

Roman was different. He was a real friend. He could talk to him about anything. Something that broke Seth's heart even more. Roman was such an amazing human being. He deserved Karo. He deserved love. And he deserved all the happiness in the world. But Seth didn't deserve him as a friend.

"Nah, it's alright. Just tired, don't worry," he said and ran his hand through his two-toned hair.

Roman looked at him intently, sensing that he wasn't telling the truth. He really didn't want to push him, but he knew that Seth often needed to be reminded that he can trust him with whatever he needed to get off his chest.

"Look, I know it sucks for you to be stuck in between two couples, but just tell us if we cross a line or something. Seth, you're a good guy and we love you, that won't change," he said, patting his friend's shoulder.

Seth just nodded his head and tried hard to choke down the tears that were building in his eyes. If Roman only knew.

"Thanks, bro. That means a lot to me. I...I guess I'm just stressed out at the moment. With all these promos and interviews," Seth replied, trying to relax his muscles. He felt guilty. He felt so bad for being in love with Roman's girlfriend.

"You know what? We should organise an evening without the girls. Just you, me and Dean. Just like good old times. Watching sports and drinking beer. What do ya say?" Roman asked and looked at Seth with a smile on his face.

"Sounds good, sounds really good. You...you and Dean just talk to your ladies and we'll see from there, k?" Seth stood up and slowly made his way over to the showers, leaving his friend behind.

He was done talking. He couldn't handle the tension anymore. Roman probably didn't feel it but he sure as hell did. Why was this happening to him? Just a few days ago his world was shining bright. He had the best of friends and an awesome job. He was carefree. He was happy. Happy until those pregnancy tests said _positive_.

...

Karo was going back and forth in her hotel room, desperately waiting for Roman to come back from his photo shoot. She was nervous, a little afraid even. She had no idea how he was going to react. Would he be happy? Sad? Angry? Surprised? Yes, he would definitely be surprised. She just hoped in a positive way.

She heard the unlocking of the door, knowing that her boyfriend has just arrived. She quickly sat down on the bed, crossing her legs and trying to look as relaxed as she could be.

"Hey baby," he said, a smile on his face.

He had the most amazing smile she had ever seen. It was heart-melting. He was so perfect in her eyes. He was still in his ring gear. They had probably taken pictures of the boys with their titles. She loved him in his black attire. He looked so incredibly sexy wearing it.

"Hey," she said almost in a whisper, standing up and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I missed you."

Roman chuckled and caressed her back while pulling her closer to his body. He loved the smell of her hair. She smelled like a mixture of vanilla and peach. It felt good to have her so close to him. In moments like these he wished he would never have to let go of her again.

"I've just been gone for two hours, babe," he said and smirked, kissing the top of her head.

He reluctantly let go of her and started opening his vest but Karo immediately stopped him. She had to be focused and with him stripping off his clothes in front of her would make her anything but that.

"Stop, Roman," she said, nervously biting her bottom lip. "Uhm, sit down for a minute. I need to show you something."

Roman raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend but did as he was told. He knew that objecting would cause another fight. They had been fighting a lot for the last two weeks. Whatever he said or did, she would be pissed. He had no idea what he was doing wrong but he just assumed that she was exhausted and stressed out. Or it was the time of the month. Who knew?

He watched her as she went to her suitcase, retrieving a book.

"Here, look at this," she said and handed the book to him while sitting down next to him on the bed.

He took it from her and looked at her confused when he saw that it was a photo album. Did he forget his own birthday? Or hers? He shook his head, trying to think of another reason she would give it to him.

"I...uhm...I just wanted to keep a few pictures of us. You know, we all have them on our phones and computers, but I didn't want them to get lost someday," she said when she sensed that he was confused as of why she made that photo album.

"That's sweet of you, babygirl," he said and pecked her lips.

She was an angel. It was things like these that made him love her even more. She was special. So much more different compared to the other girls he had been dating. She was so thoughtful and not shy to show him how much she loved him. Not anymore at least.

He skimmed through the photo album, looking at each and every picture intently.

"Oh my God, do you remember this?" he pointed to one of the pictures and cracked up laughing. It was a picture somebody must have taken without them knowing it. It was back from the time when they hadn't been dating. You could see how scared she looked at The Shield as they were passing her in the backstage area.

"That picture was so funny, I had to put it in there," she said and giggled.

It was amazing to see that fear could turn into love. But it happened. And she couldn't be happier about it.

She watched him as he looked through the photo album, laughing with him as they remembered the times they had spent together. They looked so happy in those pictures. But nothing could compare to what she felt in her heart when she looked at him.

She was becoming more and more nervous. She knew there were just a few more pictures left until he reached THAT photo.

She wanted so bad to take the book away from him and just shove that picture into his face but she needed to be patient. She had to calm down and relax. She was sure he wouldn't yell at her. He had done that once and never had again. She watched him intently when he turned that final page.

He didn't move. He just stared at that picture, holding his breath. Karo swallowed hard and sighed heavily. Her heart was beating uncontrollably fast in her chest and she was sure he could hear it.

"Karolina, what is this?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Karo just looked at him, tears in her eyes. She had no idea if he was angry or not. She hated it when she wasn't able to read his face.

He looked back and forth between her and that ultrasound picture. Was he seeing things? Was he asleep? He must have been, because this just couldn't be true.

"Are...are you pregnant?" he asked, staring deep into her eyes.

"I...I'm sorry," she said after a while, breathing heavily and trying to take the photo album away from him but he wouldn't let her.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Roman had no idea what to say. He tried to fathom what was happening to him, to them. He was simply speechless. While at the same time Karo couldn't help but let the tears fall down her face. Why would she even think that he was happy? She was ruining his life with this. He was successful in what he was doing and worrying about her and a baby just didn't fit into the picture at the moment.

"What are you sorry for?" he asked, finally breaking the silence.

Karo was about to answer him when he suddenly put a finger over her lips, making her hush. He wiped away her tears with his thumb, all the while looking into her eyes.

Slowly a small smile spread across his face, making Karo confused. She was so sure he was mad at her for being pregnant and now he was smiling? What was this all about?

"You're having my baby," he said as a matter-of-fact, cupping her face with both of his hands now.

"Roman..." she started, but trailed off. She didn't know what to say. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing. She still didn't know what he was thinking about all of this.

He placed a sweet kiss on her lips before hugging her tightly.

"I'm going to be a father," he said after letting her go, tracing that ultrasound picture with his fingers.

So many things were rushing through his mind. He was expecting anything but this. She was pregnant. His Karolina was pregnant with his baby. He was shocked. He really was. But he was also the happiest man in this universe. His heart almost jumped out of his chest as soon as he saw that picture.

There were so many questions he needed to ask her. Why? How? When? But that had to wait. He needed to realize that it was indeed true. She was pregnant. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't tell why but he loved her even more now. Maybe it was wrong to be happy. That wasn't planned and they hadn't been dating for long, but he had known before that she was going to be the mother of his children. It happened earlier than expected but he was as much into this as she was.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard her sobbing next to him. He looked at her confused, suddenly realizing that he hadn't really reacted to this at all other than stating the obvious. She was probably afraid he didn't want her anymore. Or that he didn't want that baby. He was such a fool sometimes.

"Sweetheart, stop crying, it's all good," he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

"Is it?" she asked in between sobs. "Aren't you mad at me?"

He let go of her gently and smiled at her warmly.

"I would be lying if I said I was expecting this, but why would I be mad at you? I could never be mad at the woman that is carrying my baby," he said, shaking his head in bafflement when he once again realized what had just happened.

She chuckled and wiped away her tears, taking his hand into hers. "I'm 9 weeks into the pregnancy, so it's still early," she said, kissing the palm of his hand and looking at him nervously.

"How did you know?" he asked, knowing that she understood what he meant by that.

"Well, a lot of things have seemed to change recently. Remember I constantly had to pee? Me not eating my favourite candy anymore 'cause I thought it smelled awful?" She looked at him expectantly and saw him nod his head while grinning.

"I gained weight, my boobs are swollen as fuck and I started crying without a reason. Due to the stress my period hadn't been on time for a while now, so I wasn't worrying about it either," she continued, now breaking the eye-contact. "And I've been bitchy and moody, and I took it all out on you which wasn't fair."

Now that he thought about it, it all made sense. So it wasn't his fault that they had been fighting so much lately. Clearly her hormones were to blame.

"I couldn't hide it from you anymore as I started having this morning sickness. I wanted you to know earlier but I just knew for sure today," she said when he remained silent.

"How long have you thought you were pregnant?" he asked, guessing that she only went to see a doctor today as the picture mentioned today's date.

"A few days ago I took some pregnancy tests and all of them were positive. But I still wanted a doc to confirm it before I bothered you with this," she answered, sighing in relief. He wasn't mad. He was happy. He wouldn't leave her but stay with her and their baby.

"Bother me? You're nuts, babygirl," he chuckled and kissed her neck softly. "You know, it's not wrong to expect a baby when two people love each other. And you have no idea how much I love you," he continued and placed one of his hands on her stomach. "...how much I love both of you."

She smiled at him happily and rested her hand on his.

"Can you believe it? We're going to be parents," she said, looking deep into his beautiful greyish eyes with a smile on her face.

He answered her with a kiss. He honestly couldn't believe it. All of this had to sink in first. But he was happy. And he was sure that they would make it. As long as they were together they would accomplish everything.


	4. Baby alert

**As I won't be able to write over the course of the weekend or on Monday and Tuesday, I'll give you another chapter today.**

**I hope you all like it. And yes, I feel bad for Seth myself…I'm such a cruel person lol**

**Enjoy and review, my friends.**

Chapter 4: Baby alert

The next morning Roman opened his eyes slowly, having the feeling that something was different. He must have had a very _nice_ dream because he could have sworn he just woke up with a woody.

He tried to move slightly in order not to wake Karo when he suddenly realized that he hadn't been dreaming. He looked down and saw Karo kneeling in between his legs, sucking him off.

"Oh my fucking God," he moaned, wide awake now. "Baby, that feels so good."

"Good morning, sexy," she said with a smile on her face before kissing the tip of his cock, licking off the precum with her tongue.

He buried his hand in her hair, pulling her down so that she could take him into her mouth a lot deeper than before. Due to all the stress and the fighting, they hadn't had sex for a few weeks and he couldn't deny that his blue balls were killing him.

He must have thrust into her mouth a little bit too powerful as he felt that she started to gag slightly. He let go of her and looked at her in concern when she suddenly jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom.

He looked down at his fully erect penis and sighed when he heard her throw up. They had done this deep-throat thing a lot of times and he was surprised she couldn't take it this time. Maybe his blue balls were to blame for his unorganized hip movements.

He got up and made his way over to the bathroom, entering it and kneeling down next to her.

"You okay, babe?" he asked while holding up her hair, caressing her back at the same time.

Just a few moments later, she leaned back against the bathtub, wiping her mouth. She was all pale and sweaty, looking exhausted by what just happened.

"I'm so sorry, Roman. You can't imagine how embarrassing that was for me," she said and looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath.

"I'm the one that needs to apologize here, babygirl. I was a little too rough I guess," he said and moved so that he was sitting next to her.

She looked at him surprised and a small smile spread across her face. He looked so adorable when he felt guilty.

"Honey, that wasn't your fault," she said and giggled.

"But uhm...I made you gag with my...you know…," he started saying but trailed off when she kept giggling.

"Morning sickness, Roman. Nothing else. No worries," she said, moving so she was sitting in his lap.

His cock was still slightly hard and feeling her soaked panties so close to his crotch made him shiver. She licked her lips seductively and traced his abs with her fingernails. He was an Adonis and the most handsome man she had ever seen.

"So, you think we should continue what we've just started?" she asked, whispering into his ear and nibbling his earlobe. "Maybe we should drop that whole blowjob thing for today, but there are many other things I would like to do to you."

Roman breathed in sharply. He had goose bumps all over his body and it didn't help matters that she was grinding into him. He wanted to throw her on the floor and plunge himself into her forcefully. But he knew he couldn't do that. He had to be gentle with her. She was pregnant and he didn't want to hurt their baby.

"I'm not sure if this is such a good idea," he said, the tone in his voice not really convincing. He wanted this as much as she did, but he couldn't shake off the uneasiness.

"Why?" she looked at him confused, blushing when she realized that he had just rejected her.

He had never done this before. Whenever she tried to seduce him, he'd always played along. He probably thought she was disgusting and fat. And she was only 9 weeks' pregnant. What would he think when she was close to her due date? Would he think she was gross?

"I...I don't wanna hurt the baby," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Look, I know the baby won't be able to see my dick and stuff, because that would really freak me out, but I'm just afraid I'll do something that might put you and the baby in danger. What if I crush it with my weight?"

The look in his eyes reflected insecurity and it broke Karo's heart to see him like that. He wasn't rejecting her, not at all. He was just concerned about their baby's health and that made her heart melt. The WWE fans feared him and saw him as the most dangerous man in the Shield stable, but in reality he was the most adorable human being ever.

"Look at me, Roman. You're not going to hurt me or the baby by having sex with me, ok? How do you think that little something came into my belly, huh?" She ran a hand through his hair and kissed his forehead softly before smiling at him reassuringly.

She took his hand into hers and slowly guided it into her panties, letting him feel what he had done to her already.

"Can you feel how wet I am, baby? You don't wanna leave me in this state, do ya?" she asked, looking at him expectantly and with a smirk on her face.

Roman breathed in sharply. Feeling her wetness on his fingers sent chills up and down his spine. His cock hardened even more now just thinking about being inside of her again. And she was right. Millions of women who were expecting babies were having sex with their partners and they all survived. He still had the feeling that he had to be careful though.

He looked deep into her eyes and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. He licked his lips while moving his hand down to her breasts, kneading them through the shirt she was still wearing. But he wanted more. He wanted to feel her bare skin.

"Lift your arms," he said hoarsely, indicating to her that he wanted her badly. His voice always became even deeper and hoarsely whenever he was full of lust and passion.

She did as she was told and helped him get her out of her top, throwing it away and not caring where it would end up. He swallowed hard when he looked at her full ample breasts. He cupped them with his hands and let out a moan when he felt how soft they were. Her nipples had hardened as soon as he had touched her and she was even more sensitive now that she was pregnant.

"They really have grown," he said quietly and kept staring at them while kneading them softly. He loved her breasts. He always had and he knew them like the back of his hand. He bent down and snapped one of her nipples in between his teeth, biting them gently while rubbing the other one in between his thumb and index finger.

Meanwhile his cock had been fully erect again and he couldn't help but feel the urge to thrust up. He needed to feel her. Every inch of her body. It had been too long and he had to make up for lost time.

He began sucking on her nipple, making her moan out loud. He closed his eyes tightly when she started rubbing her soaked panties against his bare crotch, loving the way she was teasing him. After letting her pierced nipple go with a popping sound, he leaned back against the cold tiles of the bathtub and watched her in awe. She was so beautiful. The most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. And now with her being pregnant with his baby, it made her all the more beautiful. He placed a hand over her belly and bent down a little, placing kisses around her bellybutton.

"Hey cookie, I really don't wanna impose right now, but I think your mommy needs some loving," he said and placed another kiss on her soft skin. "So close your eyes for a few minutes and cover your ears, ok?"

She giggled when he looked up at her again. He was so adorable and she was sure he would be the best father a baby could ask for. She had never been in love with somebody as much as she was with Roman. He was everything she had ever wanted. He was smart, funny, humble, thoughtful, loving, sexy and gorgeous all at the same time. He was too good to be true.

He slowly shoved her panties to the side and looked at her expectantly. He didn't want to lose time by going back to the bedroom, so he decided they would just stay in that position. He didn't care where and how they did it, as long as they were together.

She understood immediately what he had in mind and wrapped her hands around his shaft, placing it just inches before her wet entrance. She took a deep breath and looked deep into his eyes while lowering herself onto his throbbing length.

They both moaned out loud, enjoying to the fullest the feeling of him entering her, making them one. He laid his head on her shoulder, slowly and gently staring to thrust into her while she buried one hand into his hair with the other one caressing his neck.

It felt so good to feel him that close to her again. She knew it had been her fault they hadn't been intimate for a while and being with him in this very moment showed her just how much she missed sleeping with him.

She was sure she had never felt him deeper inside of her than she did in this very moment. Not only physically but mentally as well. She was united with the man she loved, the man that was going to be the father of her baby. It was overwhelming. So much that she couldn't help but shed a few single tears.

"Baby, why are you crying?" he said when he realized that her body shook slightly, his breathing unsteady. He took her face into his hands and forced her to look at him. He was afraid he had hurt her and immediately stopped moving.

She cupped his cheek with one of her hands and smiled at him through the tears. "I just feel so blessed to be with you," she said and kissed his forehead gently. "These are happy tears, honey."

He could feel his heartbeat starting to increase. He was so in love with that woman, it was ridiculous. He wasn't ashamed to show just how much he loved her. He would do anything for her. Even if that meant that he had to say or do cheesy things. He had a lot more to offer than to just spear or triple powerbomb people through tables. There was so much love in his heart and he was confident enough to show the world just how important she was to him.

"Make love to me, baby," she whispered into his ear and softly bit his earlobe.

She started moving her hips slowly, grinding into him while pressing her forehead against his. They looked deep into each other's eyes, cherishing this moment as if their life depended on it. His lips were slightly parted as he tried to control his breathing but she made it hard for him to do so.

He met her movements with his thrusts which were agonizingly slow this time. She wanted him to make love to her and he wanted to do just that. Today she didn't need any dirty words, no slaps to her ass and no fucking. She needed to feel his hot skin on hers; she wanted to feel the connection between them. This was so much more different compared to all those times they'd had sex with each other. It was more intense, more meaningful than it ever had before.

After endless minutes of moving in a steady rhythm, their bodies were covered in sweat. He was surprised that he was still able to hold back, but he enjoyed this way too much to end it just yet. All this time they never broke the eye-contact, they kept staring into each other's eyes, not saying a word. No words had to be said anyways. They let their actions speak this time.

He felt her tense up, the grip of her hand in his hair tightening now. She was close. He could feel and see it. He dug his nails into the skin of her hips, pushing her down firmly while thrusting up into her slick folds.

"Are you cumming for me, babe?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

She had her eyes closed now, her movements starting to become unorganized and unsteady. She wasn't able to form a coherent sentence. She was overwhelmed by all those feelings and sensations she was experiencing. She just nodded her head before opening her eyes once again, meeting his immediately. She licked her bottom lip, knowing that this would drive him crazy.

And it certainly did. Knowing that she was about to cum and looking at her licking and biting her lips made him lose his mind. He sped up a little bit. He knew she needed this release just as much as he did. He wanted them to cum together. He wanted to reach that peak with her as a unit. He could feel her walls tightening around his cock, her moans loader than they had been before. He pulled her close to his body, wanting to feel her soft skin pressed against his.

Both of her hands were buried in his hair now, his head resting on her shoulder, placing kisses all over it.

"Roman...," she groaned, her whole body starting to shiver. "Oh God...I'm cumming, baby."

Hearing her scream his name and clinging to his body was all he needed to reach his own climax as well. His whole body started shaking and he moaned out loud, emptying himself deep inside of her. He could feel how she was still milking him, extending his orgasm for a few more moments.

As soon as they came down from their highs, they collapsed into each other's arms. They were trying to catch their breaths, not wanting to let go of one another.

She wanted to stay in that position forever. She loved this connection between them. Both of their hearts were beating fast. Not only because of what had just transpired, but also because of their love for each other.

"I love you so much, Karolina," he said and leaned back a little so that he could look up at her again.

She smiled at him and cupped his face with her hands, placing small kisses all over his face.

"I love you too, Roman. And you will never know just how much," she replied, placing her index finger over his lips as she knew that he wanted to tell her he loved her even more.

She doubted that. She doubted that anyone could love anyone just as much as she loved him. And she didn't want to talk about it. Right now all she wanted was being in his arms and cherish this as long as they could.

...

Karolina knew that she should probably wait until she was 12 weeks' pregnant just to be sure that everything was fine with the baby, but she and Roman couldn't wait to tell their friends. She had told Roman that Seth and Shannon already knew, but Kaitlyn and Dean didn't. Although Roman was sure that Shannon couldn't keep her mouth shut. Ever.

They also had to tell management about the news. Karo wasn't allowed to wrestle anymore and Hunter needed to know that. They had to think of a storyline where she would lose her title and be out for a while.

Roman opened the door to the Shield's locker room and was surprised to see all of his closest friends gathered in the small room on time. Normally Dean and Shannon were always late and nobody really wanted to know why. But here they were, putting a smile on Roman's face.

"Hey guys. Glad you all could make it. Me and Karo, we...uhm...we have to announce something," Roman said and looked at their friends nervously. Although most of them knew, he couldn't help but feel excited to tell them.

Karo grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly, showing him that she was by his side. Not that she would ever leave anyways.

"How am I going to say this now?" he mumbled to himself, looking down at the floor.

He had been so confident when he came here and now he felt like a little boy and he didn't even know why.

"Let me do it then," she said and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll make it short and sweet. No need to beat around the bush. So, me and Roman are expecting a baby. I'm pregnant."

Roman and Karo looked at each and every one of their friends curiously and they all had different expressions on their faces.

Shannon, for example, had a huge smile on her face while Kaitlyn covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Seth looked tired but gave them a weak smile. They both didn't know it was a fake smile though.

"Holy shit, you've gotta be fucking kidding me, right?" Dean was the only one that spoke up. All the others remained silent. He didn't seem to be too happy about the news which saddened Karo. She considered him a close friend and she wanted him to support them.

"Actually we..." Roman started but was immediately interrupted by Dean.

"Are you guys too dumb to protect? You know, condoms help," he said and shook his head disbelievingly. He didn't mean it the way he said it but he was straight forward and always brutally honest.

"I'm on the pill, but..." This time it was Karolina who wanted to say something but Dean stopped her as well.

"You're on the pill? How can something like this...whoa, wait a minute. You got pregnant although you're on the pill?" Dean stood up and looked at Shannon nervously, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the room. "We need to talk," he said and closed the door behind them.

Roman and Karo looked at each other confused but just shrugged their shoulders. Dean had a hot temper sometimes and that really didn't have to mean anything.

"Oh my God, that is awesome news, guys," Kaitlyn said and made her way over to the couple, hugging both of them tightly. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, sweetie. That means a lot to us. How about we have some coffee later?" Karo asked with a smile on her face until she felt that Roman gently pinched her.

"No coffee for you, young lady. I'm sure my baby doesn't like caffeine," he said, a stern look on his face.

Kaitlyn just laughed at Karo's shocked face, patting her friend's shoulder and leaving the room with a smile on her face.

"We'll discuss this later," Karo said into Roman's direction as soon as the door was closed again, making her way over to Seth and sitting down next to him.

She took out a little notebook and handed it to him. He reluctantly took it, knowing exactly what he would find in there. He slowly took the piece of paper into his hands and looked at it intently. He wasn't really familiar with this kind of things but he knew that this was her baby. Roman's baby.

"Look, this is the head right there. Can you believe it? It's just a little dot," she said and giggled, moving even closer to him. He held his breath for a moment, trying to remain calm next to her. All he wanted was to press his lips onto hers, throw her on her back and devour her with everything he had.

"Man, how were you able to keep this to yourself?" Roman asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Code of honor," he simply said and swallowed hard when Karo placed a kiss on his cheek. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and kept explaining the ultrasound picture to him even further. But he didn't even listen.

This kind of affection was normal to them. It always had been. But now, after realizing that he loved her, it was pure torture. Having her so close but not belonging to her hurt him. It broke his heart. But he had to be strong. For their friendship. For keeping her in his life.

"I'm happy for you guys. You deserve it, really," Seth said, letting go of her and standing up. "Don't take this the wrong way but I'm hungry. Gotta go get something to eat. Want me to bring you something?" Seth asked, trying to sound as normal as he could.

He could feel that Karo sensed that something was wrong but she wouldn't say anything. Not with Roman being there with them.

"Nah, thanks man, we had breakfast in the hotel. See you later in the gym?" Roman asked, taking the seat Seth had occupied before.

Seth just nodded his head and smiled at their friends. Deep inside he was falling apart. But they shouldn't know. He was their best friend and he wouldn't let his feelings ruin that. Maybe he had to distance himself a little to get over her but he was sure that he could make it. At least he hoped so.

...

"Stop that, you're hurting me, Dean," Shannon said and pushed him away.

As soon as they had left the locker room, he had grabbed her by the wrist and looked for an empty room where they could talk. He had no idea just how tight the grip was but looking at the imprints of his hand on her wrist, he just realized just how much.

"Sorry, sweet cheeks. But we need to talk," he said before kissing her wrist softly, sitting down on a bench and taking her hand to make her sit in his lap.

"What is it? If you want to apologize for reacting like an asshole, you have to tell Karo and Roman, not me," she snapped, mad at him for not being happy for their friends. She could tell by the look on Karo's face that she was hurt by his words.

"I...oh my God, really?" he rolled his eyes at her before continuing. "I will, goddammit. Not sure I'm really happy for them, but whatever."

"Why not?" she looked at him confused, not understanding where he was coming from. Why wouldn't he be happy for their friends? They were thrilled to become parents and he didn't give a damn?

"I don't know. Have you ever thought about what's going to happen now? It's going to break up our group. It's not gonna be the Shield anymore. No more Dean, Seth, Roman, Karo and Shannon. It's gonna be Roman, Karo and the baby. Dammit, we were enjoying our lives and now he knocked her up?"

"You act like a spoiled little boy, Dean," she simply said, staring at him disbelievingly.

"Ugh...sometimes I hate you, you know that?" Dean sighed heavily, swallowing hard when she kept staring at him.

"I bet you do. Don't even know if you love me. Have never heard you say it," she mumbled, breaking the eye-contact.

She had no idea why they even had that conversation now and maybe she was too hard on him, but he was being selfish about this whole thing.

"Shannon, please don't start this now," he groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

He knew that it was important to her that he said those three little words, but he just couldn't yet. He had never told anyone that he loved them and just saying them now was wrong to him. He wanted to mean it. And he would do it whenever he felt the time was right.

"What did you wanna talk about anyways?" Shannon asked, trying to calm down by taking deep breaths.

"About that pregnancy thing," he simply said, expecting of her to understand what he meant by that but she had no idea.

"So?" She raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend and looked at him confused. Where was he going with this?

"For fuck's sake, Shannon. Don't you get it? She was on the pill but she's still pregnant now. What does this tell us?" he asked, looking at her sternly.

It took Shannon a few moments until she realized what he was trying to tell her. Shannon was on the pill as well. She and Dean didn't use condoms. Roman and Karo didn't either. Karo was expecting a baby now.

"HOLY SHIT," Shannon screamed and covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

"Yeah, right. What if this shit happens to us as well?" He asked, his voice shaking a little.

He wasn't prepared for this. He probably would never be prepared for being a father. It just shocked him to realize that this whole _'pill thing'_ wasn't a 100% safe.

Shannon was speechless. Thousands of thoughts were rushing through her mind and she couldn't think straight anymore. She remembered all these times they weren't careful. Although she had forgotten to take the pill on certain days, they hadn't protected otherwise.

"I think I have to puke," she said and suddenly ran down the hall, searching for a bathroom.

_Great, just fucking great_, Dean thought and buried his head in his hands in frustration.


	5. What now?

**Here I am with a new chapter and I'm really sorry it took me so long but I had a lot to do at work. I hope you all like it and enjoy reading it.**

**Thanks to all of you for your support and your amazing reviews.**

**ShannonTheAwesomeOne, you will realize that there are some of your lines I used. So credit goes to you for them, my wonderful inspiration.**

**Once again a huge thank you to pezziecoyote for being such an amazing beta reader.**

**Well, that's it for now ;-) Go ahead and read!**

**…**

Chapter 5: What now?!

It was just another typical day in Karo's life ever since finding out she was pregnant. Waking up feeling nauseous, jumping out of the bed in a hurry and throwing up like there was no tomorrow. It wasn't only exhausting, but nerve-wracking as well. She was sick of this whole ordeal, literally.

Roman was gently caressing her back while she was lying on the bed after coming out of the bathroom just a few minutes ago. He was trying to soothe her and make her feel a little better, but she seemed to be really miserable.

"Try to sleep, Roman. You don't have to do this now," she mumbled, being annoyed with herself that once again she had woken him up.

"Hush now. I know that I don't have to do this but I want to. In the end all of this is my fault anyways," he said, trying to lighten up her mood.

She slowly moved her head and turned to him, a small smile on her face.

"It IS your fault. Just wait till the day we're in that delivery room. I will verbally harass you until even you start crying like a little girl," she said and yelped when he started tickling her.

They tossed and turned around in bed for a few minutes, both of them laughing and shrieking like some teenage couple. They were so madly in love with each other.

"You can do whatever you want to me. As long as you're the one giving birth to my baby, I will take it like a man," he said while being on top of her, propping himself up on his elbows so that he wouldn't crush her with his weight.

She brushed a few loose strands of hair out of his face and looked deep into his beautiful grayish eyes. She got lost in them once again. And she always would. There was something about them that calmed her down. She felt safe with him. He was the first man she ever fully trusted and she knew for sure she would give her life for him. Her heart was already with him and if he ever left her, he would take it with him. She didn't even want to think about being without him. He was her life. And he gave her life.

"I'm so proud of you, Karolina," he said, his voice almost a whisper. His heart was beating fast in his chest and he was sure she could hear it as well.

"Why would you? I've done nothing special," she said giggling, trying to make fun of it. She had never thought of herself as being special or even doing something similar.

"I mean it, sunshine. You've decided to keep that baby. You're going to lose your diva's championship, you're giving up your career just so you can have my baby. And I would have understood if you said you didn't want it. I mean, we haven't been together for too long and you're so incredibly successful at the moment and...," he started but was interrupted by his girlfriend immediately.

"Roman, stop. This is my fault anyways. If I would have been careful, then..." she replied but stopped mid-sentence when she saw the serious look on his face. He didn't seem to be too amused about her reaction.

"Don't even finish that sentence, ok? I don't like thinking about this as being someone's fault. It's no one's fault, got it? We both haven't been careful. I'm in this as much as you are. And I see it as a blessing. Yes, all of this happened a lot sooner than I have expected it to but I want that. And I hope you want this as much as I do, but I just can't shake off the feeling that you simply don't," he said, quickly straightening up and sitting on the other end of the bed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

He looked hurt. And he certainly was. He was because he had the feeling that Karolina didn't want that baby as much as he wanted. And that broke his heart.

She crawled over to him slowly, uncrossing his arms gently and sitting in his lap, making him look into her eyes by lifting his chin with her hand.

"I do want this. I really do. It's just still so new. And we can't deny that this wasn't planned. It's just...I don't know. You know I can't handle these compliments. There's really no reason to be proud of me," she said, tracing his facial hair with her fingernails.

He looked at her intently and stared into her beautiful blue eyes. He couldn't be mad at her for too long. He didn't want to fight. Not because of something like this. He knew she needed more time to accept that being pregnant meant giving up so much.

She took his right hand and guided it to her belly, gently placing it on her bare skin after pushing up her shirt a little.

"I know we can't feel anything yet, but just knowing that your baby is growing inside of me makes me the happiest woman in the world. I can't thank you enough for being here with me. For staying with me and supporting me. I'm sure anyone else would have left me. But you didn't," she said, tears building in her eyes. She hated being so emotional but at the moment her hormones were overwhelming her each and every time.

"Don't thank me, sweetheart. Just let us enjoy this time, ok? I want to cherish every single minute of this journey," he replied, wiping away a single tear that fell down her cheek.

Karo took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. A lot had been happening during the last couple of days and she had a difficult time letting this all sink in. But with Roman by her side and with the best kind of friends in the world, she knew she could make it all work.

"I'm so relieved that Hunter took this so well. I was afraid he would freak out on us," she said after sighing heavily.

After announcing the pregnancy to their friends, Roman and Karolina had decided to let the management, in this case Triple H, know about it as well. She had to stop wrestling immediately as she would threaten her baby's health otherwise. They both had been nervous about their boss' reaction but he seemed to be genuinely happy for them. Knowing that they had the support of management meant a lot to them and hearing Hunter say that Karo could come back whenever she wanted made her feel so much better about all of this.

"Me too, trust me. And speaking of that...uhm...I guess we should let the others know as well," he replied, looking at her unsure.

"The other wrestlers? I've gotta admit that I'm scared as fuck about that. I know this will give them enough food for gossip. I'm gonna be that slut again and..." she said but was hushed by her boyfriend gently placing his fingers over her lips.

"I'm not talking about the other wrestlers. I actually don't give a damn about what they think. Let them talk. We've been through this before and if anyone even thinks about trying to insult you or our baby, I'll punch them in the face," he said, trying hard not to think about people like Eve who for sure was going to have so much fun harassing his girlfriend.

"But who do you mean then?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Let's go to Pensacola, honey. I want my parents to know," he said, the smile on his face reflecting excitement and happiness.

Karo swallowed hard. She completely forgot about telling their parents. She knew that the next time they were going to Europe was only in a couple of months which meant that she would tell her parents over the phone. But then there were still his parents. And she knew he wanted to let them know this personally. That scared her.

"Roman, I don't know. Why don't you just give them a call and inform them?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as she could.

She immediately broke the eye contact. She didn't want him to see that she felt uncomfortable in this situation. Just by looking into her eyes he would know that something was bothering her.

"What is it, Karolina? Why don't you want to go there and tell them?" he asked, sensing that something was on her mind.

"What if they don't take this so well? I'm pretty sure they won't be happy about it. They'll probably tell you I did this on purpose or something. I don't know. I just don't want to disappoint them," she said, still not able to look into his eyes.

Karo really liked his parents and she knew they loved her like a daughter. But how would they react when they learned that they were going to be grandparents? They would probably lose faith in her and make this seem like it was a mistake.

"Babe, please listen to me now, ok? You really don't seem to know my parents well enough. They're gonna freak out, that's for sure. But in a positive way. They love kids. They love me, they love you and they will certainly love our baby. Honey, they would never say or do anything to hurt us. Please trust me with this, ok? They'll probably throw a party afterwards," he said, tickling her sides and making her giggle.

She looked deep into his eyes and knew right then and there that he was being honest with her. He wouldn't take her there if he knew his parents wouldn't approve.

"So, Pensacola it is then," she said after sighing heavily, placing a sweet kiss on his lips and wrapping her arms around him tightly.

**...**

_'COME. HERE. NOW.'_

Karolina read Shannon's message over and over again, swallowing hard. She couldn't shake off the feeling that one day Dean was going to break her friend's heart, but she hoped she was wrong and that they didn't fight or anything. She knew that Dean had a hot temper sometimes, but she had no idea how he was acting in a relationship.

As Roman went out for a run, Karolina decided to have a quick shower and make her way over to her friend's hotel room in order to see what had happened.

In less than 15 minutes, Karo was finally standing in front Dean's and Shannon's hotel room, knocking on the door softly. Her heart was beating fast in her chest and her hands were all sweaty. She had no idea why she was that nervous but she just feared that her friend had been hurt.

"Oh my God, Shannon! What the fuck happened?" she asked, shoving her friend to the side and entering her room after the door had been opened.

"Whoa, Karo, relax," Shannon said before following her into the room, shaking her head annoyed.

"Relax? RELAX? Are you fucking kidding me?" Karo asked exasperated.

She looked at her brown-haired friend intently and noticed that she was all pale with dark circles around her eyes. But what scared her the most were the bruises she had on her wrist.

"For fuck's sake, don't tell me that motherfucker beat you," Karo said furiously, taking her friend's wrist and examining it.

Shannon looked at her friend in shock and pulled her arm away angrily.

"What the hell are you talking about? Dean would never hurt me on purpose, Karo. You know that," she replied, sighing heavily and sitting down on the bed.

She motioned for her friend to sit down next to her, trying to calm herself down by taking deep breaths. Karo probably didn't mean this in a bad way. She was looking out for her and that meant a lot to her. They would always stick together. No matter what. Even Karo's fucked up hormones couldn't change that.

"I need your advice, Karo," Shannon said after a few moments, her voice almost a whisper.

She broke the eye-contact, insecurity reflecting in her eyes. Shannon had always been strong, confident and independent. She was someone Karo always wanted to be like. But now there she was: broken, insecure and a nervous wreck.

"What is it, sweetie? What can I help you with?" Karo asked, sitting down next to her friend and taking her hand into hers, squeezing it softly.

Shannon took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to get her act together. She had no idea how to tell her friend about her fears. She was afraid she would freak out on her for being so dumb, but then again Karo was just as dumb because she was the one being pregnant for sure.

"Hmm, you know...uhm...because of yesterday...well...Dean really acted like a dick when you told us about the pregnancy and I was really mad at him for that," she started and finally looked into her friend's eyes again before continuing, "But he did it because of personal reasons."

"Personal reasons?" Karo asked, confusion written all over her face.

"Yeah...so...uhm...Dean and I are scared as fuck because after you told us that you guys are expecting a baby although you were on the pill and..." she started explaining but was interrupted.

"And now you're afraid you might be pregnant as well?" Karo asked, a smile on her face.

"Yeah. We haven't been using condoms, you know?" she said, looking at her friend expectantly.

It felt good getting this off of her chest. It had been killing her to keep all of this to herself. She knew she could trust Karo with whatever was heavy on her heart and now she felt stupid for having been so nervous about this before.

"Sweetie, listen to me now. I totally understand that you guys are freaking out because of this and I know I would be as well, but if you would have let us explain this whole thing, then you would know why I'm pregnant now. You remember I had this horrible cold a while ago, right? I took the antibiotics and well...forgot to use any kind of protection afterwards," she replied, smiling at her friend reassuringly.

"So this just happened because of the meds?" Shannon asked with a frown on her face, trying to remember if Karo had already told her that and she just forget in all of this chaos.

She sighed heavily when Karo nodded her head. Maybe Dean was overreacting and all of this was complete bullshit. Suddenly she felt her heart break in her chest. All of this had happened before. It was like she was living through this all over again. And it scared her. It scared her to think about what she had been going through. About what she had done. To herself. And to an innocent human being.

"What are you thinking about, Shan?" Karo asked when she sensed that Shannon had tensed up.

Shannon sighed heavily and ran a shaky hand through her hair. It would be tough talking about it but Karo had been at her side back then and she would understand what was going through her mind now.

"Remember when I got pregnant a few years ago? That stupid one-night-stand with that football player? I don't know, but all these memories keep coming back to my mind now..." Shannon started and her whole body started shivering.

Karo swallowed hard and moved closer to her friend, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She exactly knew what she was talking about. She was sure that Shannon had been over it but now it felt more present than it ever had before.

It was a few years ago, a few months after Karo moved in with Shannon, that Shannon discovered that her one-night-stand had consequences. It was a shock to both of them that she actually got pregnant since Shannon had been told by so many doctors that she wasn't able to get pregnant due to infertility and the shape of her uterus. It was something that Shannon had accepted but knowing that she had gotten pregnant was shocking her all the more.

She had been thinking about this over and over again. She hadn't been sure if she really wanted to have that baby. But then again this was a miracle. Once in a lifetime. She HAD to have that baby. But there had been too many reasons not to keep the baby also. She would have been a single mother, the baby would never have a father. It deserved to have a family and that was something Shannon couldn't give her child. She hadn't had the money to provide for that baby. She simply shouldn't have been a mother. She had decided to abort the baby.

Tears were streaming down Shannon's face. It broke her heart thinking about the fact that she had killed her baby back then.

"Shh, stop crying. You did the right thing," Karo said as if she was able to read her friend's mind.

Shannon nodded her head weakly, giving her friend a small smile while wiping away the tears. She tried her best to calm herself down but she couldn't stop thinking about it. It had taken her a long time to accept that it was the right decision to abort the baby. It had been the best thing for her and the child. But it still hurt. It still felt as if she had killed someone.

"I haven't had my period in over three months now. And even for me this isn't normal," she whispered before continuing a few moments later. "I will keep the baby this time, Karolina," she said quietly, her voice a little shaky.

Karo just caressed her back and patted her shoulder, showing her friend that she would always be there for her. It was her body and her decision. And if she wanted to have the baby, then she would support her as much as she could.

But all of a sudden Shannon jumped up, pacing back and forth in the hotel room nervously.

"Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck! Dean wouldn't want it, would he? Oh god, that would be horrible. I just lost my job and my book is nowhere near done. How am I supposed to provide for a baby on my own if he leaves me? Oh god, what do I do? I'm such a mess! My life is such a mess. Oh god..." she said, fear and insecurity reflecting in her eyes.

"Hey, Shannon, stop it now, ok? Relax. Sit down and calm your tits, alright?" Karo said, grabbing Shannon by the wrist and pulling her down so that she was sitting next to her again.

She looked at her friend intently and it broke her heart so see how scared Shannon looked. She had never seen her like that. Never.

"Now look, just imagine this, alright? We could raise our babies together, hun! They would be best friends! Or, our babies are a boy and a girl, they can grow up and be in love and oooooh my gosh imagine that! Play dates and stuff. Oh wow, that would be fucking perfect," Karo said, her heart, so full of joy, beating fast in her chest.

Shannon looked up at her friend's happy face and it made her heart melt. Karo seemed so excited just thinking about them both being pregnant at the same time. It was adorable. And when it finally sank in, Shannon was excited as well.

"Wow, that would be pretty awesome, huh?" she replied, a huge smile spreading across her face.

The two friends beamed at each other and started giggling, both of them imagining their kids growing up together.

Suddenly the hotel room door busted open, startling the two girls and making them yelp.

"Just use 'em and tell me the damn verdict when you're done. I can't think straight without knowing for sure," Dean, who had just entered the room, said and immediately turned around and slammed the door shut behind him again.

Karo and Shannon just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Dean was a complicated person and nobody could say they knew him for sure. Not even Shannon.

Shannon looked into her lap, checking what her boyfriend had just thrown at her.

"Pregnancy tests, huh? I know how to use them, babe," Karo said with a mischievous smile on her face, grabbing the tests and dragging her friend into the bathroom.

"Take 'em. Now. Don't wait any longer. It is for the best, trust me," she added, kissing her friend's cheek and leaving her to herself again.

She waited in the other room, sitting on the bed cross-legged and twirling her thumbs. She was excited, nervous even. She would be so happy if Shannon was pregnant with her at the same time. That was every girl's dream. Expecting a baby just as your best friend was. Maybe her dream was coming true. She really hoped it would.

A few short minutes later, Shannon came back and sat across Karo, also crossing her legs.

"Five more minutes and we know what the future holds," Shannon said, giving her friend a weak smile.

Karo took Shannon's hands into hers and smiled at her. No matter what was going to happen, they would always have each other's backs. Although they were like fire and water sometimes, they still couldn't be without each other for too long. Shannon was the sister Karo never had. And Shannon felt the exact same way.

"Have you guys thought of any names yet?" Shannon asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence and trying to ease the tension that was in the air.

She hated the quiet. The silence always spoke the truth. And sometimes she hated the truth. Maybe she even would in the next few minutes, depending on what the results said.

"Not really. It's still too early. I guess Roman still needs to get used to the idea of becoming a father. And I still can't believe there's something growing inside of this," she said and poked her own belly, giggling shortly afterwards.

There was a glow about Karo that had never been there before. The glow of being an expecting mother, the glow of someone who was carrying a little human being under her heart. She looked so happy. So entirely satisfied with herself and the world.

"I bet you'll look adorable with a baby bump," Shannon said, looking at her friend's belly intently and imaging that maybe something was also growing inside of her own. She had always hoped about having another chance, of finally being a mother. She was ready this time. She had someone she loved, she had grown-up and she was sure she could do it this time.

"Oh hush, I'll look fat and gross. I just hope that Roman will still be able to look at me without having the need to puke," she replied, sighing heavily.

There she was again. Karolina, the self-conscious little German girl. Shannon just rolled her eyes and wanted to say something when the beep tone of her cell phone told her that five minutes had passed. It was time. It was time to see if her life would change forever.

"I'm scared," Shannon said and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Come on, let's do this now. You have to know. And so does Dean," Karo answered, taking Shannon by the wrist and pushing her into the bathroom.

They both looked at each other and sighed heavily. This was it. The moment of truth. The moment that would probably change everything.

"You want me to check?" Karo asked, looking at her friend expectantly.

When Shannon nodded her head, Karo smiled at her and turned around to make her way over to the sink. She bent down a little, getting a closer look and checking each and every pregnancy test intently.

"So?" Shannon asked, drying her sweaty hands on her jeans. She couldn't handle this tension anymore. It was killing her.

Karo turned around and looked into her friend's eyes directly, keeping a straight face and not showing any kind of emotion.

"Well, it says..."


	6. Life is a rollercoaster

**I'm sooo sorry for leaving you all with a cliff-hanger but I've never done it before, so it was about damn time ;-)**

**Thanks to you all for reading, following and reviewing. I love you all. And you'll never know how much.**

**Thanks again to pezziecoyote and ShannonTheAwesomeOne. Without you the story wouldn't be where it is today.**

**Enjoy and review :)**

**...**

Chapter 6: Life is a rollercoaster

"What does it say, Karo? Stop stalling, goddammit," Shannon said, nervously running a hand through her hair.

Karo closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. She needed to get her act together before she would start crying all over again. She was an emotional wreck at the moment and she didn't want Shannon to suffer because of that.

"It says that you're not pregnant. They're all negative, hun," Karo said quietly, not sure how to react as she had no idea if Shannon would be happy or sad about the news.

Shannon slowly sat down on the toilet lid, burying her face into her hands and taking a deep breath. She was confused. Too many thoughts were running through her mind and she was at a loss of words. Was this a good thing? Or a bad one?

"You ok, Shan?" Karo asked while moving closer to her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder while kneeling down in front of her to look into her eyes.

"I honestly don't know," Shannon replied, her voice sounding hoarsely.

Karo didn't know what to say. She was sad that the tests turned out negative because deep down she had hoped that Shannon was pregnant as well. She had this image in her head with both of them pushing a stroller with their babies and chatting away about the challenges of being a mother.

"It's kinda sad, you know?" Shannon stated, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.

Karo just nodded her head and sighed heavily. It was indeed sad but they just had to accept the fact that it would probably never happen. They would never be able to raise their kids together. The chances of Shannon becoming pregnant were almost non-existent. They had to stop dreaming and start living in reality.

"I'm sorry, hun," Karo said and patted her friend's knees before standing up again. There was nothing else she could say. Words were unnecessary in moments like these.

"Don't be. It probably is for the best," Shannon said and grabbed her cell phone as soon as they entered the living room area of the hotel room again. "I should tell Dean to come back. I want him to know."

Karo nodded her head and sat down on the bed, waiting for her friend to tell her if she wanted her to stay or leave. Maybe she needed her when she told Dean. Or she wanted to be alone with him. She had no idea. It was funny that she felt like she needed Shannon now. Not the other way round. She was devastated. She needed someone to hold her and tell her that everything would be fine. She felt selfish for feeling like this but she just couldn't help it.

"He'll be here in a few minutes. You wanna stay?" Shannon asked after receiving a text from Dean, as if she could read her friend's mind.

"You tell me. Do you want me to?" Karo asked, her voice shaky.

She felt stupid for putting herself forward, but fortunately it seemed that Shannon didn't even notice. She was too busy deciding if she should be happy or sad that she wasn't pregnant.

"Stay here. You're family. And I'm sure Dean doesn't care anyways. You know him," she replied, winking at her friend and sitting down next to her.

Karo noticed the small smile on Shannon's face and couldn't help but feel a little hurt. That was it? She had already gotten over it? Just a few minutes afterwards? It wasn't fair. It just wasn't right that she was the one who was broken-hearted while the one that should feel like that didn't seem to be bothered.

A minute or two later, the hotel room door flung open, revealing a nervous-looking and tensed up Dean. You could tell he was dying on the inside. He wanted to know so badly if he was going to be a father or not. He honestly hoped that his girlfriend wasn't pregnant. It wasn't their time yet. It probably never would be. He wasn't supposed to be a dad. He simply wasn't a good role model and he didn't want his kid to have such a fucked up childhood like he had.

Dean made his way over to the two girls sitting on the bed, kneeling down in front of his girlfriend and taking her hands into his. The look in his eyes reflected insecurity and fear. He needed to be strong for her, no matter how all of this turned out, and he felt bad for showing her that he was afraid of what was to come.

"Tell me, sweet cheeks. I need to know," he said, his voice shaky and almost a whisper.

His heart was beating fast in his chest and he was sure that both Shannon and Karo could hear it as well. This was the moment of truth. His whole life could change now. Forever.

"We're not pregnant, Dean. It was false alarm. You can relax again," Shannon said calmly.

A huge smile spread across Dean's face and he jumped up and down in joy before realizing that his reaction might hurt his girlfriend. He was selfish. All he was thinking about was himself and his future. But he wasn't alone anymore. He was with someone now. Someone that loved him and that wanted to spend her life with him although he was such a fucked-up idiot.

"I'm sorry, babe. I just..." he started but trailed off when she stood up and placed a sweet kiss on his lips.

"It's okay, sexy. I was sad at first and I still am, a little. But in the end it's the best for all of us," she said, giving her boyfriend a reassuring smile.

He kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly before gently letting her go again. He shoved his hand into one of his pockets and revealed a little box, a mischievous smile on his face.

He opened the box and almost shoved it into her face.

"We need to celebrate this," he said and took out one of the many condoms that were in it, chuckling when she looked at him wide-eyed.

"Okay, I guess this is my cue to leave now. Have fun and be careful, my friends," Karo said and kissed Dean's and Shannon's cheek each.

She gave them a fake smile and slowly made her way over to the door, opening it and exiting the room before slowly closing the door behind her. She stood still for a few moments, taking deep breaths and trying to choke down the tears that were building in her eyes. She just couldn't understand how Dean and Shannon could be so happy about it. It was sad that they wouldn't have a baby, and they wanted to celebrate it? This was so wrong in her eyes.

She shook her head and swallowed hard. She wouldn't let them have control over her feelings. This was none of her business and if they felt like this was a good thing, then so it was. She started moving again, wanting to get back to her room as fast as she could. She felt a few single tears fall down her face, but she didn't want anyone to see. Especially not people she didn't like such as Drew and Eve, for example.

"Karolina?" someone called out, making her stop dead in her tracks. She really wanted to be left alone but she also knew she couldn't just ignore that person.

She turned around slowly and was relieved to see that it was Seth. Her best friend. Exactly the person she needed in that moment. She quickly made her way over to him and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his mid-section and breathing in his scent. He always smelled so good. So incredibly masculine.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked, the worry in his tone unmistakable.

He wrapped his arms around her and felt her face pressed against his chest. Her tears were wetting his shirt but he didn't care. He hated to see her cry. All he wanted was for her to be happy. Even if that meant that he was the one that had to suffer.

"Come on, let's go to my room," he said when she remained silent.

He gently let go of her and took one of her hands into his, softly dragging her into the other direction and into his room. He opened the door and let her enter, following her shortly afterwards. His heart was beating uncontrollably fast and although he shouldn't even think about it, he couldn't help but hope that she had a fight with Roman.

A spark of hope raised deep inside of him and he didn't even feel bad for it. He wanted Karolina. He needed her. And he knew that if Roman made her cry, she wouldn't be with him any longer. At least that's what he told himself.

He watched her lay down on his bed on her back, noticing how her shirt clung to her curvy body. Although he hated that she was pregnant with another man's child, he loved how her body shape was changing. Her already full ample breasts were growing even more now and he so badly wanted to touch them, to touch her.

He laid down next to her, facing her and propping himself up on his elbow. He looked her over from head to toe, enjoying the sight in front of him. He didn't know what it was, but she was becoming even sexier by the day.

"Hold me, Seth. Please," she said, looking at him expectantly with tears in her eyes.

He nodded his head and smiled at her weakly before laying down on his back, motioning for her to get closer and rest her head on his chest. As soon as she did, the butterflies in his stomach were acting up once again. He had no idea how he had been able to suppress all these feelings for such a long time, but right now he couldn't ignore them anymore. It felt so good to have her in his arms, to be the one to comfort her and have her open up to him. He knew he was one of the most important people in her life, but unfortunately it was Roman who had her heart.

"I've missed you," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

He swallowed hard when she started tracing his abs with her fingernails through the thin fabric of his shirt. He couldn't remember if she had always done this before but in this very moment he had to be careful not to be too aroused by her touch. He knew she wouldn't be able to handle the situation if she felt that he had a boner. He had no idea why she was that sad, but even if there was trouble in paradise between her and Roman, he was sure she was not interested in sleeping with him. Not at all. Probably not ever.

"I've missed you too, baby," he started and kissed the top of her head softly before continuing. "I'm sorry I haven't been in touch too much. I wanted to give you and Roman time for yourselves."

He hated lying to her but there wasn't any other possibility. What was he supposed to say anyways? _Sorry, I couldn't stand seeing you two so happy, because I fucking love you_. No, he couldn't do that.

He could feel that she stopped sobbing, her muscles were relaxing again and she was taking deep breaths. Maybe now she would tell him what was bothering her. She nestled her face in the crook of his neck, once again inhaling his scent.

"I'm stupid, I'm so fucking stupid," she said before closing her eyes in order not to cry again.

But it didn't help. Tears were streaming down her face and her whole body started shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't even explain how dumb she felt for feeling like this but she didn't have the power over her hormones anymore. It had been happening a lot recently. Her mood swings were not only bugging her, but Roman as well. He would never show her though. He would just take it and try to make the best out of it. He loved her and he loved their baby. He didn't want her to feel upset about anything and so he just swallowed it. Even if she acted unfair and unreasonable.

"Shh, don't say that. You know you're not," he said while caressing her back gently. "Tell me what happened. Why are you crying, sweetie?"

She tried to calm down and sighed heavily, Seth's touch soothing her and making her feel at ease. And that's what he wanted her to feel. He wanted her to feel comfortable with him, he wanted her to feel loved and cherished. And maybe he could use her hormones to his own advantage.

She slowly sat up and wiped the tears away with her hand, looking at him and swallowing hard. He would probably think she was crazy and she couldn't even blame him. She WAS crazy. Out of her mind even.

"It's completely ridiculous and I know you'll be laughing at me but I'm so bummed that Shannon isn't pregnant," she replied, another wave of tears running down her puffy cheeks.

Seth looked at her confused and raised an eyebrow. What the hell was she even talking about?

"Shannon? Why would she be pregnant? I mean...yeah...don't start with that bee thing shit again, but...what the fuck's going on?" he asked her, propping himself up and moving closer to her again. He could never be close enough to her.

"Well, she and Dean were scared as fuck after we told them I was pregnant. They thought she might be pregnant as well because...you know what? It doesn't even matter why. The only thing that matters is that she's not pregnant and I'm all by myself. I wanted us to raise our babies together. I wanted us both to be pregnant at the same time. Now it's just me ending up all fat and gross," she explained, the tears not stopping.

Seth just shook his head and tried to fathom what she had just told him. Was she kidding him? Was she really crying only because Shannon wasn't pregnant? That it was only her being pregnant now? He couldn't believe it. He was starting to get mad and he didn't even know why. Or maybe he did. Yes, he did indeed. He was mad because this wasn't what he had expected. He wanted her to tell him that she had been fighting with Roman. That she was sick of him and wanted to be with him instead. But that was absurd. He needed to stop living in a dream world. This was the real deal. She didn't love him and she never would. He hated himself for even thinking about something so stupid.

"Seth, are you ok?" she asked after noticing that he was staring into space, completely lost in thought.

"Yes, yes I am. Sorry. Just had to let that sink in. So...uhm...first of all, you will definitely not look fat and gross. You'll be just as beautiful as you are now. And don't worry about Shannon not being pregnant. You'll get extra attention being the only one having a baby. We will all pamper you and try to make you feel good. You wouldn't want to share all the love, would you?" he asked, making her smile.

He had no idea how he was able to act so differently in a matter of just a few seconds but he didn't want her to worry about anything. If she knew what he was feeling for her, it would ruin everything.

"I don't know how you can always make me feel that good, Sethie. You know I love you, right?" she asked, not knowing how much her words meant to him.

Yes, she had told him before. But this time it was different. This time he cherished these words even more. Although he knew these words didn't have the same meaning when she said them to him instead of Roman, he felt like he was on cloud nine.

"I love you too, sweetie. So stop crying. I want my bestie to smile. It suits you a lot more," he said, pulling her close to him and starting to tickle her.

He wanted to be carefree. He wanted to feel like he always had when he was with her. But someone else apparently didn't want him to feel like that again because they both were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She quickly let go of him and beamed at her phone when she saw who was calling her.

"Hey baby," she greeted the person on the other hand, mouthing to Seth that it was Roman.

Seth just nodded his head but deep down he just wanted to roll his eyes and curse his friend for ruining the moment. That must have been coincidence.

"You have? When are we leaving? Tomorrow? Uhm...well...yeah, that's ok. Okay, I'll be with you in a minute...yeah...love you too, baby," Karolina said and hung up the phone.

She looked at Seth with a big smile on her face and once again threw herself into his arms.

"Although I'm totally nervous, I'm just as excited to tell Roman's parents about the baby. We're going to Pensacola tomorrow," she said, placing a sweet kiss on his cheek before getting up and straightening her shirt.

"I'll call you as soon as we're there, ok?" she asked, frowning at him after sensing that something seemed to be bothering him. But she didn't want to ask. Maybe she was just imagining things. Her hormones were playing games with her sometimes.

Seth just nodded his head and followed his best friend to the door, opening it for her.

"Thanks for listening and cheering me up. Call me whenever you need me," she said before embracing him in a tight hug. "Love ya, Sethie!"

He pulled her even closer to his body, placing a kiss on the top of her head before swallowing hard. Although she would only be gone for a couple of days, he was going to miss her. A lot.

"I love you too, sunshine," he replied, letting go of her slowly and watching her leave. And it hurt. It hurt him to know that she was going to be with Roman. The father of her baby. The man that would forever be in her heart and life.

_I love you more than you will ever know_, he thought to himself and made his way back into the room. All he wanted to do now was feel sorry for himself. And cry. Simply cry.

**…**

Karolina and Roman had made it to Pensacola a few hours ago and were now enjoying the rest of the evening together before going to his parents' house the next day for their announcement. He knew that Karo was extremely nervous about this whole thing and that's why he tried everything to make things easier for her.

"How do you like it?" he asked, tightening the grip on her hand and smiling at her from the side.

They were taking a walk on the beach, hand in hand, while the sun was slowly setting, leaving the horizon and seemingly sinking into the ocean.

"That's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Besides you, of course," she said, giggling when he shook his head with a smile on his face. Could she ever be serious for a minute?

"Let's sit down and enjoy this, shall we?" he asked, sitting down in the sand and extending his hand in order to help her sit down next to him.

They both remained silent for a few minutes, savouring this moment to the fullest. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, quite the contrary. They could always spend time together and enjoy it without even have the need to talk about anything. Just the presence of the other person was enough to make them feel comfortable and happy.

Roman closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and once again reconsidering if the things he wanted to tell her now were indeed appropriate and not scaring her away. A lot had been changing and a lot would still change, but he didn't know if she was ready for this yet. He didn't want her to feel like she was put under pressure.

"Are you okay, honey?" she asked when she felt that he was lost in thought, once again.

He had been uneasy and nervous all day long, but she had no idea why. It was him who wanted to let his family know as soon as possible, not her. She was the one that had the right to freak out and be all excited about this.

"Babygirl, I think we need to talk about a few things before we go to my parents' tomorrow," he said after sighing heavily.

Karo looked at him unsure, insecurity reflecting in her eyes. What did he want to talk about? It must be something that was bothering him because the look in his eyes told her that he didn't feel good talking about it. Didn't he want the baby? Or maybe he didn't want her anymore?

"Did I do something wrong? Do you want me to change? What is it?" she asked, her heart beating fast in her chest.

She knew for sure she wouldn't be able to live without him. She wanted to have this baby with him or not at all. It was a naïve attitude, but she couldn't help it.

"Relax, baby. It's all good. I would never want you to change and you know that. I love you the way you are. And you also haven't done anything wrong. It's just...uhm...you know my parents are going to ask a lot of questions tomorrow, right?" he said, fortunately taking her fears but making her curious at the same time.

"Questions? What kind of questions? Hopefully not how that baby got in my belly. That would be really awkward," she said, a small smile on her face.

He looked at her and smiled at her in return, moving a little so that he was sitting in front of her.

"No, don't worry about that. I'm sure they don't wanna talk about sex with us," he replied, taking both of her hands into his and squeezing them slightly. "Look, this is something that is really important to me but we never had the chance to really talk about these things. So please tell me when this is going too fast for you or anything, alright?"

She looked at him confused before raising an eye-brow. What the hell was he talking about? Her head was full of thoughts, but felt empty at the same time and she hated that feeling.

"Spill the beans, Roman. This is driving me crazy," she said, impatience speaking for her.

"Alright, here we go. So...uhm...in a few short months you won't be able to tour with us anymore. You need to get rest and take care of you and our baby. And I don't want you to be alone. You know I will be touring the world and in the meantime I want for you...for us...to have a place where we feel home," he said, knowing that it was now or never.

He didn't want her to worry about anything and therefore put herself and their baby in danger. So he had to go through with it now. There was no turning back anymore..

"So?" she asked, her voice more quiet now. She wasn't sure if he meant what she had in mind and therefore kept it to herself, not wanting to feel embarrassed.

"Let's go and find a house, babygirl. I want us to have a place we can call home. You, me and the baby. We're gonna be a family soon and I don't want us to stay in either your or my apartment. I want us to live together," he said and sighed heavily, looking at his girlfriend expectantly.

She looked past him and watched the sunset, not answering him and making him even more nervous. He went too far. She didn't want this. She wanted to be independent and keep her place. But just thinking about her sharing her apartment with Shannon with their baby living there as well made him sick to his stomach. He wanted to be with her. With them.

"Why wouldn't you want to keep your apartment?" she simply asked, looking into his eyes again before continuing. "There's enough space for the three of us."

This took a load off his mind. It seemed like she was fine with them living together. It was his biggest fear that she didn't want them to share a home with each other.

"Because it would always be only my apartment. It want US to have something together. And quite honestly, there might be enough space for three people, but one day we might as well be more than just three...," he said and smiled at her shyly.

"Wow, you really do think ahead, don't you?" she asked, cupping his cheek with her hand, a small smile on her face.

"I know I probably shouldn't, but you're having my baby now and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. And truth be told, I don't want this to be our only baby," he replied, cupping her hand with his and kissing it sweetly.

The butterflies in her belly were acting up once again. He wanted to stay with her forever. He wanted them to buy a house and be a family. All of this was happening so fast but she could understand where he was coming from. He wanted to protect her. Her and their baby.

"So, uhm, where do you want us to stay?" she asked, not sure if he would be willing to give up on living in his hometown.

"The question isn't where I want to stay, the question is where WE want to stay," he said, bending down and kissing her lips quickly.

She knew she didn't care where they lived as long as they were together. She would move to the moon with him if this was what he wanted.

"Let's stay here in Pensacola then. I know this is where you feel home and I want you to be close to your family. I don't have anyone waiting for me in California anymore, now that Shannon is with Dean. And my family is far away. So why leave yours?" she asked, seeing that a huge smile was spreading across his face.

"You will never know how much I love you," he said, straightening up and gently pushing her back so that she was lying on her back. He was now on top of her, supporting himself with both elbows so that he wouldn't crush her with his weight.

He pressed his lips against hers, enjoying how soft they were and thinking how much he wanted to feel them all over his skin. He wanted to seduce her then and there, not caring if there would be anyone catching them. But before he continued with his plan, something else popped up in his mind. Something even more important.

"Babe, I need to ask you something else," he said, taking a deep breath and looking deep into her eyes.

And it was now or never.


	7. We are family

**You guys are so incredibly awesome. I was so overwhelmed by all your reviews and how much you're into this story. It's great to see that you really wonder about what is to come and how it affects everyone. It makes me so happy.**

**Thanks a lot to ShannonTheAwesomeOne and mrsrkoshield for supporting me with this chapter. You know why. It feels good knowing you'll always support me. **

**And as always a huge thank you to pezziecoyote for being the most amazing beta reader ever.**

**Now enjoy & review :)**

Chapter 7: We are family

Karolina looked at Roman surprised. The look in his eyes reflected insecurity and that was something she had rarely seen before. He'd always been such a strong man for her, but now it seemed like she was so much stronger than him. At least mentally.

"Marry me, babygirl," he simply said, his voice shaky and almost a whisper.

His heart was beating uncontrollably fast in his chest and he was sure that Karo could feel it as well. He'd wanted to ask her to marry him the very moment she had told him that she was pregnant. And he thought that today would have been the perfect opportunity. But the expression on her face made him doubtful.

"Karolina...please...say something," he pleaded when she remained silent.

With all her power she gently pushed him to the side so that she could sit up again. The sun had set completely now and the only thing you could hear was the water hitting the shore.

"Why?" she asked confused. Too many questions and thoughts clouded her mind and she was at a loss of words.

Roman swallowed hard and shyly took her hand into his. This wasn't the kind of reaction he was expecting. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to be as excited about it as he was. But now she looked like it was the end of the world, and he couldn't even understand why.

"Why? There are so many reasons why, honey," he said, turning her head towards him and making her look into his eyes by lifting her chin gently.

"Are there? Really? I only see one reason and that is the baby," she said, sighing heavily and closing her eyes tightly in order not to cry.

She didn't want to ruin the moment, but she just couldn't help it. This didn't feel right. It felt enforced and not genuine. She couldn't shake off the feeling that he only did this because he felt like he was obligated to do so.

"Karolina, please don't say that. You know that this isn't true," he tried to reason, his heart breaking in his chest.

He had no idea why she was so distant now. She was literally pushing him away. All he wanted was for them to be a happy family one day, but she was crushing his dreams.

"Roman, let's be honest here. You're just doing that because you have to. You have to tell your parents that we're moving in together and that I'm gonna be your wife, just so that they accept this whole thing here, right?" she ranted, her hormones taking over once again.

She was mad at him, mad at him for being so selfish. What she didn't see in her rage was that he really wanted to marry her for her and not for their baby. He wanted to be with her, no matter what happened. Yes, all of this was happening so incredibly fast and he didn't want to rush things but he just felt like it was the right decision to marry the woman that was giving birth to his child.

"You know what? I'm sick and tired of this shit," he yelled and suddenly stood up, his back facing her before turning around to look directly into her eyes. "I try my best to make you happy. I wanna provide for you and our baby. I want us to have something we call our home. I want us to be a family, for fuck's sake. What is wrong with that?"

Roman was furious. He had been patient and understanding all this time but now he was finally exploding. He knew that sometimes she wasn't in her right state of mind, but that didn't give her the right to question his love.

Karo just sat there and looked at him in shock. What was happening? Why were they fighting? It hurt her so much to see him like that. He hardly ever acted that way, but you could tell by his grey darkened eyes that he was dead serious about this.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair when he noticed that tears were streaming down her face. Her whole body started shivering because she was sobbing uncontrollably. He slowly knelt down in front of her and took a deep breath. He hated to see her cry. And he hated to know that he was the reason for all of this.

"Babygirl...," he started but trailed off when she wrapped her arms around his midsection tightly.

She rested her face in the crook of his neck and could feel his pulse which was beating incredibly fast. Roman's touch was soothing her and she realized once again that this man would always be her saving grace. She loved him unconditionally, but she couldn't deny that it was a little bit too much for her to process in only one day.

She slowly moved her head so that she could look into his eyes again. The darkness was gone now and all she could see in them was worry and love both at the same time. She got up from her sitting position and got on her knees as well, stretching a little so that she was almost eye-level with him.

She gently pressed her lips onto his and placed her hands on his well-toned chest, moaning when he licked her bottom lip softly. She immediately opened her mouth, granting him access and letting his tongue meet hers, both of them exploring each other. He didn't know if sex was the solution to their problem, but right now he didn't care. He longed for her. He wanted to feel her, taste her and savour her.

The kiss grew even more passionate after each second passing by and Roman wasn't able to hide his arousal anymore. He pressed his body closer to hers, letting her feel his growing erection against her abdomen. She breathed in sharply, feeling the wetness in between her legs increase almost instantly.

She wasn't able to think straight anymore and doing this probably wasn't the best thing to do but she wanted to forget about everything. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

He cupped her face with his hands and let out a soft moan when one of her hands slowly made its way down in between his legs, squeezing him lightly through the jeans he was wearing.

"Lay down on your back," she said, her voice sounding hoarsely.

She wanted him. She needed him. For just a few moments she wanted to forget that she was having a baby. That she was going to move in with Roman or that she was getting married to him. Right now she just wanted it to be Roman and Karolina. The couple they had been just a few weeks ago. Sometimes she was mad at her baby for everything that had changed, although she knew she shouldn't. It wasn't her baby's fault. It was no one's fault, just like Roman once said. But living her life the way she had always wanted it was over. She belonged to someone now. And she was carrying a baby below her heart.

He looked at her expectantly when he laid down in front of her in the sand, waiting for her to do the next move. He could tell that something was on her mind but asking her about it now would ruin the moment. As selfish as it sounded, he needed to take the chance he was given then and there because it could be the last one for a few weeks. It had happened before and it might happen again.

He watched her intently as she stood up, her eyes fixed on him as she started removing her clothes, piece by piece, very slowly. It wasn't a strip show she was giving him but it turned him on nonetheless. Especially considering the fact that they were in a public place and there could easily be someone watching or catching them.

He took the liberty to take off his shirt quickly before unbuckling his belt and impatiently shoving his jeans and boxers down in one fell swoop. They didn't have time for a long foreplay and they certainly didn't have time for making love. They both didn't know what this was. Maybe it was something between fucking and lovemaking, but they didn't care. Their libidos had taken over their minds.

She stared at his impressive erection and licked her lips seductively. She loved that she had such a huge effect on him. In moments like these she felt more like a woman than she had ever done before.

She closed the short distance between them and bent down, placing her legs to the left and right of his hips, her mound barely touching the tip of his cock.

"I wanna feel you, babe," he hissed, pushing his hips up impatiently and trying to enter her, but she backed away, a mischievous smile on her face.

She took his shaft into one of her hands, guiding it up and down along her wet entrance. She stopped at her clit, rubbing his tip against the small bundle of nerves, moaning out loud at the sensation.

He watched her every move, enjoying the sight in front of him. She was lost in her own world, her eyes closed tightly and a content look on her face. When she bit her bottom lip, he couldn't take it anymore. He had to have her now.

"Babe, please...," he pleaded before placing his hands on her hips and trying to push her down gently.

She opened her eyes again slowly, overwhelmed by the love and desire she could see in his. She was about to cry as her heart broke for the man that was lying underneath her. He was the one showing her that love was something beautiful. He was the man that was going to be the father of her baby. And what did she do? She pushed him away after he _proposed_ to her.

She was about to back away when he held her tightly. He knew that she wanted to run, but he wouldn't let her. He would never let her go again. Ever. She was the love of his life and if she didn't want to commit herself to him, then even that was fine with him.

"I'm ruining the moment again, Roman. How do you even want this now? Let me go," she said quietly, a single tear falling down her cheek.

He wiped it away with his thumb, gently caressing her cheek afterwards. He was so afraid that he had scared her away. That this was too much for her and that she would decide to leave him. And he couldn't even blame her. He just threw this all at her and expected her to take it although he knew that she was emotionally unstable at the moment.

"I want you, babygirl. I want you and our baby and it doesn't matter how we do it as long as we're together," he whispered, his heart heavy in his chest.

He gave her a reassuring smile which made her heart melt. She could never deny him anything. Never. She loved him too much and she knew right in this moment that she couldn't resist him anymore. She had to surrender.

She bent down and placed a sweet kiss on his lips before adjusting her position and lowering herself onto his hard cock inch by inch. They both moaned at the sensation, enjoying this feeling to the fullest. The overwhelming feeling of once again being united with the person you love the most. After remaining still in that position for a few short moments, she started moving her hips slowly, their tongues now lost in yet another passionate kiss.

They soon found a steady rhythm, their bodies intertwined as one. Whenever she was with him, she was on cloud nine. Whether he was just kissing her or making love to her. It didn't matter. He made her happy. He was the only one who could make her feel this special.

She broke the kiss and leaned back slightly, supporting herself on his thighs and therefore letting him in even deeper. He immediately cupped her breasts and kneaded them gently, rubbing her left nipple in between his thumb and index finger while teasing her pierced one with the palm of his hand.

He watched her intently, mesmerizing every inch of her body. Her baby bump was barely showing, but anyone could tell just by looking at her that she was an expecting mother. It was that special glow around her.

She looked deep into his eyes and bit her bottom lip when his hand moved down to tease her clit. Her whole body was lost in ecstasy and he could sense by her unorganized and frantic movements that she wouldn't last too much longer. He thrust up and met her hip movements, now rubbing her hardened nub furiously.

She bent down again, their faces mere inches apart from each other. Their breathing was shallow and their hearts were beating fast. Not only because of the physical strain, but also because of their love for each other.

"I'm about to cum...," she panted, placing small kisses on his lips over and over again.

He dug his nails into the flesh of her hips, pulling her even more down and burying himself deeper inside of her. She felt perfect around him. She was everything he had ever searched for.

He drew her in another passionate kiss, his thrusts now unsteady. He loved being inside of her and he didn't want this to ever stop. But feeling her tighten around him and moaning into his mouth, he couldn't help but finally let loose and let his orgasm wash over him. He didn't stop moving, he carried on, wanting her to enjoy her own climax to the fullest. He could feel her pulsing around his shaft while he emptied himself deep inside of her.

She broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against his, both of them desperately trying to catch their breaths and come down from their high.

They remained in that position for a few more moments, cherishing the feeling of being so close to each other as much as they could. Neither one of them knew what to say although there was so much more left to talk about.

She finally moved and let him slide out of her slowly, their mixed juices dripping out of her slightly.

"So, uhm, shall we get dressed and do the cuddling at home?" he asked and looked at her unsure before handing her the clothes she was wearing before. They both had risked enough, the fear of getting caught had been a kick, but right now it just felt uncomfortable.

She just nodded her head and took them from him, both of them getting dressed in silence. A silence that was uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that Karo had to break it.

"Roman, I'm sorry," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

He looked at her surprised after buckling his belt and smoothing his shirt, the expression on her face showing him that she was insecure and self-conscious. That was the look he gave her when they first met.

He moved closer to her and took her hands into his before placing a kiss on her forehead. He didn't know what she was sorry for because he was sure he was the one that needed to apologize. He was the one putting her under so much pressure that she couldn't help but feel like she had to run.

"No, Roman, don't just take this again, ok? Don't let me get through with this. I hurt you and I need to apologize for that," she started but was immediately interrupted by him.

"Babe, it's okay, I understand. We don't have to get married if you don't want to. I can't force you. It's your decision, not mine," he stated, his heart breaking inside of his chest as he once again realized that she didn't want it as much as he did.

"Let's do it," she simply said, taking him by surprise. He looked at her intently and was sure to see determination in her eyes.

"What do you mean? Like...really...," he said but trailed off when she nodded her head.

"We're getting married. After the baby is born though. I'm only getting married once and I want it to be perfect. Which means that I need to look sexy and not fat like I'll be looking very soon," she explained, yelping when he picked her up and flung her around.

"You mean that? You really want this and you're not just saying this?" he asked, kissing her all over her face and making her giggle.

"I mean it. I want this," she said when she was on her two feet again.

She would lie if she said she was 100% sure about that. But she loved him. She loved him more than anything in the world. And she never wanted to be without him anymore.

But what if they failed? What if all of this didn't work out? She couldn't shake off the feeling that their love would be put to the test very soon. She could just feel it in her bones.

**…**

"I'm so nervous," Karolina said as they were impatiently waiting for Roman's parents to open the door after knocking just a few seconds ago.

They'd talked about everything under the sun throughout the whole night. There had been a lot of things they needed to discuss and they both knew it didn't make sense to push it all aside. They needed to be honest with each other. They needed to trust each other. She was relieved that she'd been able to talk to him about her fears. And he listened. He hadn't interrupted her until she was done talking. That meant a lot to her, more than he could ever imagine.

"Don't be, babygirl. They're gonna be excited for us. Trust me," he said and squeezed her hand gently.

He was just as nervous as she was, but he was positive that his parents would be supportive and happy about the news. At least he hoped so.

When the door finally opened, they both turned their heads and looked at Roman's mom Patricia. She had a big smile on her face and it reminded Karo so much of Roman. She knew where his beautiful smile was coming from.

"Roman, Karolina, I'm so happy you're home," she said and hugged both of them tightly.

_Home_. Yes, this was going to be home for her soon. It felt good to hear his mother say this. It showed her once again how warmly they've welcomed her in the family. She WAS family.

"Hey mom, it's good to be back," he said before kissing his mother's forehead softly.

They followed her into the house and made their way to the porch where his father Sika was already waiting for them.

"Hey beautiful young lady," Sika said and gave Karo a bear hug, almost cutting off her air.

"Uhm, dad, be careful," Roman said anxiously, grabbing his dad's arm and getting him away from Karo.

His dad looked at him confused. He had always hugged her like that and he had no idea why Roman was acting so differently this time. _If he only knew..._

"What's wrong, son? She's a strong girl. She can take it," Sika answered, hugging his son tightly and patting his shoulder while laughing heartily.

Karo gave Roman a look which told him to relax and not worry too much. Sometimes he acted like she had a severe illness and was about to die. It was cute. But sometimes he simply overreacted.

"So, no one else around today?" Roman asked, trying to change the subject immediately.

It was awkward not having his sisters or his brother around. It was way too quiet for his taste. The house had always been full of laughter and people chatting away. But this time it was different. It was as if they knew something was up.

"No, your brother is back home and your sisters have to work. Besides, we both have the feeling that there is something you want to tell us. Only us," his mother replied, motioning towards Sika and herself. It was as if she could read her son's mind.

They all sat down in silence, all four of them lost in thought. Especially Roman. His mother knew it. Just by looking at him she knew that something was on his mind. She wanted to know. She was curious. And maybe also a little afraid, not sure if the news he was about to tell them being positive or negative.

"Spill the beans, Roman," his father simply said, looking directly into his son's eyes.

He could feel that he was nervous and tensed up. Something he hardly ever saw as Roman always seemed to be mentally and physically strong. Normally nothing threw him for a loop.

Roman took Karo's hand into his and felt better knowing that she was by his side. Where else would she be anyways? She was the one having that baby.

"Mom, dad, there is something we need to tell you and actually I don't really know how to say it," he started and took a deep breath, trying to get his act together. He had no idea he would have such a hard time telling his parents about the pregnancy, but sitting there right now was more difficult than he would have expected.

Karo squeezed his hand softly, signalling for him to go and get it off of his chest. He sighed heavily and looked back and forth between his parents, watching them intently. They just waited for him to continue, his mother smiling as always while his father's face couldn't be read.

"Well, I really shouldn't beat around the bush, right? So...uhm...Karolina and I...well...we're expecting a baby. She's pregnant," he said, his voice shaky, giving away that he was incredibly nervous.

He licked his suddenly very dry lips and started fidgeting with his right leg when his parents didn't seem to react. It felt like an eternity until they finally responded to his announcement.

"Oh my God, is this true?" his mother asked, one hand covering her mouth in shock while the other one grabbed her husband's thigh, digging her nails into it.

Karo's heart was beating fast in her chest. She had no idea how to take his mom's reaction. Was this positive or negative? Was she happy for them? Or was she mad?

"Yeah...yeah, it is. We actually haven't...," Roman started, but was stopped when all of a sudden his mother jumped up from her chair and into his arms, almost throwing him off of his sitting position.

She kissed his cheeks repeatedly, whispering into his ear and smiling at him with joy before finally turning to Karo. She took her hand into hers and helped her stand up so that she could wrap her arms around the woman that was carrying her son's child.

"Karolina, sweetheart, I'm so happy for you both...for the three of you actually," she said and shed a few happy tears, hugging her even tighter.

Karo couldn't help but cry as well. But these were happy tears. Tears of relief and joy. They both giggled when they looked at each other crying their eyes out with Roman watching them with a content smile on his face.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat, getting the attention of everyone almost immediately. It was Sika. He was the only one that remained silent the whole time, taking in what was happening and letting it all sink in.

Roman looked at his father nervously. He had never seen him like that and he wasn't sure what to think about that. The expression on his face could mean anything. He could be mad, happy, angry, excited or something completely different. It was killing Roman.

Slowly Sika made his way over to Karo, looking her over from head to toe when finally a huge smile spread across his face. He opened his arms and motioned for her to come closer so that he could give her a hug. And this time it wasn't a bear hug. It was a light one, gentle even.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," he whispered into her ear before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Karo just nodded her head, not sure what to say as she was at a loss of words. She watched Sika as he turned towards his son, both of them smiling at each other and she could tell that Roman's smile was one of relief.

"Now I know why you freaked out before. You didn't want me to crush your baby, huh?" Sika asked and hugged his son tightly, both of them exchanging a few words in Samoan while still embracing each other.

After a few more minutes they had all calmed down and sat down again. Karo and Roman were happy that his parents approved and they were relieved to know that they would always have their support. It was important to Roman to know that they would. Karo would need all the help she could get during her pregnancy while he was on the road almost constantly. He wouldn't have to worry about her knowing that his mother would be by her side whenever she needed her.

Roman was surprised that his parents didn't ask if the baby was planned or not. They probably didn't want to get too personal with Karo being there and maybe his mom would ask him as soon as they were alone. He knew how curious she could be.

"So, now that you're giving us a grandchild, have you decided where to stay in the future?" Sika asked, looking at Roman confused when his son flashed Karo a knowing smile, telepathically telling her that he knew they would ask them about that.

"Well, all of this is still new to us and we have to get used to the fact that we're becoming parents now, but we've agreed that we wanted to look for a house here in Pensacola. We wanted to stay close to you considering that she doesn't have family around here," he replied, taking Karo's hand into his and kissing it softly.

"We're her family now, Roman," Sika said, looking at his son intently.

"Yeah...right...uhm, speaking of that," he started and took another deep breath before continuing. "Karo and I decided that, you know...uhm...we want to get married after the baby is born. We want to give our child an orderly family set-up. Not to forget that we're gonna do this as we love each other. Very much. I want to emphasize that."

He nodded at his girlfriend, knowing that this was important to her. That was one of the things they had been talking about the night before. She wanted to be sure that he wanted to marry her because he loved her and not because he felt like he had to do it because of their baby. It had gone back and forth for endless minutes but in the end he convinced her that he wanted her to be his wife because he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. With or without children. This was about them. However, he admitted that he probably wouldn't have asked her that early if it wasn't for the baby and she absolutely understood where he was coming from. Even though he had a hard time making her see it from his point of view.

Patricia beamed at her son and Karo and clapped her hands excitedly. She didn't care if she acted like a teenage girl because she was way too happy about their announcement that she just couldn't help it. It was adorable to see her like that.

"That's just great," she started before getting up quickly. "I'll check the newspapers for houses this evening and I'm sure we'll find something big enough for all of you. But right now, I'm gonna cook something so that my grandchild and my future daughter-in-law will be well-fed."

Karolina looked at Roman with a frown on her face. _Big enough for all of you? Well-fed?_

He gave her a reassuring smile and kissed her cheek softly before whispering into her ear: "She wants us to have many babies. Get used to that idea, babygirl."

Karo swallowed hard but returned his smile shyly. They were young and she still had to give birth to their first child anyways. She wouldn't put herself under pressure. They were living now and not in the future. And right now she enjoyed being part of his family who seemed to be the happiest people on earth after learning that their son and his girlfriend were giving life to another little human being.

**Author's note:**

**Trust me when I say this: that's just the calm before the storm. **

**And with that I leave you for now…hehe**


	8. Let the fight begin

**As always I would like to thank you for your support. The story is finally going into the direction I wanted it to go and I promise you that things will become veeeeery interesting ;-)**

**Pezziecoyote, ShannonTheAwesomeOne and mrsrkoshield: thanks for everything you do.**

**Enjoy and review :)**

Chapter 8: Let the fight begin

"We're getting married," Karolina and Roman announced simultaneously, their friends' heads snapping up in surprise.

"You're what? When? Like...what the fuck," Dean said, being the first one to react.

They were all sitting in The Shield's locker room after having checked into the hotel just an hour ago. Roman and Karo had left Pensacola early in the morning after having spent the last three days there. Patricia, Roman's mom, had made sure that her son and his pregnant girlfriend had enough to eat, constantly asking Karo if she wanted another sandwich. She'd also checked the newspapers each and every day, looking for houses so that they could soon move to Florida together.

"Not yet, after the baby is born," Roman replied, looking at his friends with a content smile on his face. "We'll probably buy a house in Pensacola pretty soon and want to move in there as soon as we can."

He squeezed Karo's hand and gave her a heart-melting smile. She had been nervous about telling their friends because it had been a lot for them to process recently. Not only had their lives had changed but the ones of their friends as well.

"That's so cool," Shannon said before getting up from Dean's lap and hugging them both, excitement written all over her face.

"Thanks, sweetie. Your support means a lot to us," Karo answered, looking from Shannon to Dean over Kaitlyn and stopping when her eyes reached Seth.

He was looking straight into her eyes but she couldn't shake off the feeling that he was looking right through her. It seemed like he was staring into space, completely lost in thought.

"Hey, would you mind if I spent the afternoon with Seth, baby?" Karo asked by whispering into Roman's ear.

"You don't have to ask, sweetheart. You go and have fun. I bet he missed you," Roman said, winking at his girlfriend, not knowing how much Seth had really missed her.

She pecked his lips quickly and made her way over to Seth while all the others were now busy chatting away or – in Shannon's and Dean's case – making out.

"You up for a walk?" she asked Seth, giving him a smile that made his heart melt.

He looked at her intently, his heart beating fast in his chest. And it happened again. He gave in, not strong enough to stay mad at her for long although he wanted to so badly. He was mad at her for having Roman's baby, for moving in with him and for getting married to him while he was suffering from heartache that killed him inside.

He just nodded his head, getting up and leading the way out of the room, angry when she once again kissed Roman goodbye. It felt like she was doing it on purpose but he knew that she wasn't. She would never do anything to hurt him.

"You look tired, Sethie," she said as soon as they had left the arena, now hiding her eyes behind her brand-new Ray Ban sunglasses which Roman bought her just two days ago.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," he said, not being able to look at her and keeping his head down.

He had to get his act together immediately if he didn't want her to become suspicious. She was the one person that knew everything about him. Simply everything. But not that he loved her. And he had to keep that secret to himself or he would not only ruin their friendship but his and Roman's as well.

"Look, if you wanna talk about anything, you know where to find me, right?" she asked, looking at him from the side.

He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, taking a deep breath before turning around to face her.

"Karolina, don't you think all of this is going a little bit too fast?" he asked, taking off his own sunglasses as he wanted to look directly into her eyes.

He wanted to see what they reflected when she answered him. She could never keep things away from me. Just looking at her told him what was going through her mind. That was something that made the bond between them even stronger. Just being honest with each other, no lies and no secrets.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, looking at him confused.

Seth sighed heavily, not believing that he was having that conversation with her. Did she really not see it? Was she too blind to realize what was going on?

"Karolina, don't play possum now. You know exactly what I mean," he scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

She just looked at him and remained silent, not understanding where he was going with this. He was confusing her and she had never seen him like this.

"Seth, he's the father of my unborn child. Why would this be going too fast?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, too bad, right?" he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets and breaking the eye-contact.

They had never been in this kind of situation and neither one of them knew how to handle it. Seth was furious and so was she. Both of them for different reasons, but that was something she didn't know. Not only was she angry, but sad as well. She needed his support. He was her best friend. He wasn't supposed to make things more complicated than they already had been.

"Listen to me now, it's not my damn fault that you're incapable of finding a fucking girlfriend. So don't blame me and Roman for being in love and having a family soon. Stick the jealousy up your ass and stop being selfish," she said, her own words not only shocking herself but Seth as well.

He couldn't believe this was happening. That was the first fight they ever had and it was an ugly one at that.

"You really mean that? You think that's it? I'm jealous?" he asked in a huff, mocking her by giving her a dirty laugh. "What should I be jealous of? You failing with him? Karolina, open your fucking eyes and realize that this won't be all lovey-dovey for the rest of your life."

"I'm aware of that, smartass," she hissed, moving closer to him and poking him in the chest. "Leave me the fuck alone for now and call me whenever you got off your high horse."

And with that, she turned around and left him behind with a mind full of thoughts and anger.

"The show's over. Take care of your own damn business," he yelled when he realized that people had been staring at them.

He angrily kicked a trash can, startling the people surrounding him but he didn't care. He felt empty. Numb. He'd never wanted to fight with her but he was so mad at her for being so happy with Roman. He was happy he kept his secret to himself as he more than once wanted to spill out that he was in love with her.

Her words had hurt him. Maybe she didn't really mean them, her hormones could have been blamed, but it still broke his heart. _It's not my damn fault that you're incapable of finding a fucking girlfriend_. Yeah, he was incapable of finding one because the one he wanted didn't love him back.

He looked around, not sure where to go or what to do now. He knew he couldn't just go back to the arena as Karo would probably cry her heart out and tell Roman about how mean he was to her. Roman would probably give him a speech as soon as he saw him again, but he didn't even care about that.

It didn't matter. Nothing really mattered anymore.

...

She opened the heavy steel door of the arena's back entrance and stormed into the building, not looking to the left or the right. She couldn't see where she went anyways as tears filled her eyes over and over again. She hated fighting with Seth. He meant the world to her and it hurt her that they were saying these nasty things to each other.

"Oh well, look who we have here. Why are you crying, sweetie? Did Roman finally realize that you're only trying to foist a child on him?" Karolina didn't need to look up to see who it was. She knew exactly whose voice that was.

"Leave me alone, Eve," she whispered, her blood about to boil.

"I can understand him. I mean, we all know she keeps spreading her legs for the whole roster," Aksana, who was standing next to Eve, said and giggled.

Karo was swallowing hard, lifting her head slightly only to see Eve and Aksana together with Rosa Mendez standing in front of her, blocking her way.

She knew that by now most of the divas and WWE superstars knew about her pregnancy. Especially after her dropping the diva's championship to Kaitlyn without even competing. Hunter had made sure to involve her into a storyline that took her out for about a year.

But this was the first time people reacted in a negative way about her expecting a baby. Which was surprising as she thought that at least Drew and his friends would mock her about it, but they remained silent and kept their distances. But how could she even think that Eve and her little friends wouldn't make fun of her? They were probably having a field day because of her situation.

"I shouldn't even try to defend myself but this is Roman's baby and he knows that. I know you want him, Eve. Too bad he's going to marry me. But hey, you can get an invitation to our wedding if you want to. We would be happy to welcome you in our new house in Pensacola," Karo replied, wiping away her tears with the palm of your hand.

It felt good seeing the shocked expressions on the faces of her biggest enemies. Sometimes working for the WWE reminded her of being in kindergarten. It was about jealousy, hatred and love triangles. It was ridiculous.

"Yeah, right, whatever," Eve scoffed, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "One day he'll realize that you're just a little German girl who tried to make it in the States. Because without him you would be nothing," Eve said through gritted teeth, making Karo laugh.

She knew Eve was talking nonsense and it actually amused her. She stopped worrying about her a while ago, knowing that Eve, Aksana and Rosa were only acting like that because of their jealousy.

But suddenly Eve started shoving Karo, almost making her fall to the ground. Even Aksana and Rosa tried to hold her back, but she wouldn't let them. She was furious. Mad at Karo for having what she so desperately wanted.

"Hey hey hey, stop that," someone yelled, catching Karo when Eve tried to shove her once again.

This was one of the moments that showed her that Roman was indeed her saving grace because it was him _rescuing_ her.

"You'd better fuck off now before I lose my fucking nerves," Roman yelled, glaring at Eve after standing in front of Karo, trying to protect her.

"I'm sorry, Roman. I just...," Eve started, her voice almost a whisper as Roman intimidated her.

"Shut up. I don't give a fuck what you have to say. I saw what you were doing and I swear to God that if you ever try to hurt my fiancée or my baby again, you're gonna regret it," he said through gritted teeth, looking down on her.

Aksana and Rosa dragged Eve away from the couple, not wanting this to get out of control. They had never seen Roman like this and even Eve had lost it this time.

When the girls rounded the corner, Roman took a deep breath in order to calm down before turning around, facing his fiancée, as he now liked to call her.

"Are you and the baby okay, sweetie?" he asked, cupping her cheek with one hand while he placed the other one on her belly.

"We're okay, don't worry. Thanks for saving me though," she said, wrapping her arms around his midsection and burying her face into his chest, letting the tears fall once again.

"I've told you I would always protect you from injustice," he said with a chuckle before kissing the top of her head. "But what happened anyways? I thought you wouldn't give a damn about her anymore."

"I don't. But you know her. Always looking for trouble," Karo said in between sobs, snuggling even closer to him. "It's because of Seth."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, wanting her to feel safe and comfortable. He knew that any kind of stress would affect her and their baby and he wouldn't want to risk any of them being in danger.

"Seth? Why would Seth make you cry, babygirl?" Roman asked, a frown of his face.

He would never have thought that his best friend was even able to make his girl cry but he didn't want to get angry before he didn't know what had happened.

Karo gently unwrapped herself out of his hug, letting him wipe away her tears with his thumbs. He hated to see her cry. She was the most humble human being he had ever met and whenever she was sad, he was too.

"We've got into a fight. I don't even know how this could happen but it went back and forth. Him telling me that all of this is going too fast with me answering him that he's too dumb to find a girlfriend and that he should stop being jealous of us," she replied, looking at him teary-eyed.

Roman had to let this sink in before he would react. He didn't want to judge either one of them, trying to understand both points of view. He had to admit that Seth had a point saying that things were going too fast, but it wasn't for him to decide at what pace they went. On the other hand he knew that it was Karo's hormones saying those nasty things to him and he was sure that she was going to regret them very soon.

"Babe, you guys really shouldn't argue about stuff like this. I'm sure he's just worrying about you. He doesn't want to see you hurt. I know that maybe I should feel offended about his concern as it sounds as if he doesn't trust me but I bet he didn't even mean it like that," he said, kissing her forehead and giving her a reassuring smile.

"You think so?" she asked him unsure, hoping he would take away her fears of losing her best friend.

"Of course. All he wants is for us to be happy," he replied, wrapping his arms around her once again.

If Roman only knew that this was the last thing Seth wanted for them. Quite the contrary.

...

Seth was sitting on a park bench close to arena, leaning against the back rest and staring up into the sky. He couldn't stop thinking about Karolina and the things she had said to him. But maybe he deserved them. He had pushed her buttons and questioned her relationship to Roman. Something she probably couldn't handle in her current situation.

Although he felt like he was the one who needed comfort, he knew that he had to be the one to give in if he wanted to rescue his friendship to her. He had to stop interfering in their relationship if he wanted this to work. He needed to choke down his own feelings if he wanted to keep her in his life.

He took out his cell phone and took a moment to deliberate what he wanted to write. Maybe it was a good idea to text her because talking to her now could be fatal.

_Karolina, I'm really sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to question Roman's love for you and neither did I want to judge the way you handle your relationship. It's your decision and I'll support you all the way, no matter what. I just want you to know that I care about you. I want you to be happy and it would break my heart to see that things don't work out for you guys. Please forgive me. I can't stand the thought of not having you around anymore. You're my best friend. The bestest friend I've ever had. Your words still hurt me though. I guess I'm not a bad-looking guy and it's probably not my fault I'm not finding a girlfriend. I can't force it and I don't even want to. It's gonna happen...I'll find her. Maybe I already have. Who knows? But right now all I need is my best friend. Luv ya, sunshine. Seth xx_

Before he could change his mind, he pushed the send button, closing his eyes tightly and taking a deep breath. He hoped she would forgive him. She had to. He loved her after all.

...

She read his text and smiled through her tears. She couldn't be mad at him for too long. Of course she would forgive him. She always would.

She was in The Shield's locker room, waiting for Dean, Shannon and Roman to come back with some food from catering. That gave her enough time and space to call Seth. She didn't want to text him back. She wanted to hear his voice and talk things through with him. It was only fair to give him a chance to explain himself.

"Karolina," he simply said after picking up.

He had no idea what else to say. He didn't know if she was still mad or not. Maybe she would continue yelling at him and that was something he really couldn't handle anymore.

"Sethie...I'm so sorry...," she said, sighing heavily and grabbing her phone tightly.

"I'm sorry too, sweetie. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. It's just that I..." he started but was immediately interrupted by her.

"I know you care for me and you want me to be happy and stuff. But Seth, all I need is your support. I want and need to know that you do support me...us. You know Roman would never do anything to hurt me. And you know what? If he ever does, then you can kick his ass. That's a promise," she said, closing her eyes for a few short moments. "You know I didn't mean to hurt your feelings by saying you're not able to find a girlfriend, right?"

"It still hurt, Karolina. Do you think I enjoy being all by myself while you guys make out with each other in front of me? No, I definitely don't. It's honestly pissing me off, but what can I do? You guys are my friends, so I need to accept it. Sometimes I just wish you would think about me before doing all this couple shit. I know this sounds stupid but I probably need you as much as you need me at the moment. I feel fucking lonely," he replied, hoping that the last sentence stirred something up in her.

He knew she would hate to hear him say this. She would feel responsible for this and try everything to make him feel better. Maybe she would want to spend more time with him. He missed listening to music with her sitting in his lap, both of them caressing each other. Their touches had never been intimate. The touches and kisses had always been an act of friendship. And it's not like they had ever kissed each other in the sense of making out. A kiss on the cheek here and there, nothing special. But ever since she found out she was pregnant, those things didn't happen anymore. And he wanted that again. He wanted it so badly.

"I don't want you to feel lonely, Sethie. And I don't want you to feel left outside alone. You're like a brother to me," she said.

And that was the moment his heart shattered into a million pieces. _You're like a brother to me_. That was the least thing he wanted to hear from her. It felt like his whole body became numb. He felt sick to his stomach. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her that he loved her. That she wasn't a sister to him. She was the love of his life. But all his fears have been confirmed. She didn't love him and she probably never would. He would always be her best friend. The brother she never had.

"Are you still there?" she asked when he remained silent. All she could hear was heavy breathing and it scared her.

"I am, yeah, I'm still here. Let's...uhm...let's do something together. Just you and me. And some music. Like good old times. What do you say?" he asked, trying to suppress the feeling of wanting to cry and break down.

He tried to forget about what she had just said. He knew that it was wrong and that he needed to accept that he never would have a chance with her, but he couldn't help but hope she would still fall in love with him. He had to spend more time with her, getting her away from Roman as much as possible. He felt horrible for even thinking that but sometimes a man had to be selfish in order to get what he wanted.

"That sounds awesome. We really should do that again very soon, "she said, suddenly covering the mouthpiece of her phone with her hand. "Sethie, I have to go. Roman just brought me some food. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah sure, I..." he started to say but was interrupted immediately.

"My babies need to eat now, Rollins. Why don't you get your ass over here and hang out with us, huh?" Roman asked after grabbing Karo's phone.

Seth took a deep breath, feeling horrible after hearing his friend's cheerful voice. Roman loved Karolina and she loved him. Seth really shouldn't try to even think about breaking them up. Roman was a good guy. Probably the most faithful and down-to-earth guy he had ever met. He would never hurt someone on purpose, least of all Karolina. He was so excited about her being pregnant. He couldn't wait for his baby to be born. And here was Seth thinking that one day he would raise Roman's kid because he did everything to win over Karo's heart.

"Yeah, I guess I'll be there in a few," he said, swallowing hard before continuing. "Sorry for making Karo cry, Roman. I really feel like a piece of shit."

"Let's just forget about it, ok? But do me one favour. Don't ever do this again, k? I can't have you stress her out over something like this. It's not good for her or the baby, you know? And I'm sure you want your godchild to be healthy, right?" Roman replied with a smile on his face although Seth couldn't see it.

Once again his heart felt heavy in his chest. He wasn't sure if he understood Roman correctly. _Your godchild_.

"Ouch...stop it, babygirl...yeah I know, I'm sorry...uhm...hey Seth, I shouldn't have said that just yet. Karo and me actually wanted to ask you personally if you wanted to be our baby's godfather. I just got hit by her and you know how much that can hurt," he said with a chuckle.

They wanted him to be the godfather. He was going to be the godfather of a child Seth wished would not even exist.

"That's such an honour for me guys. I would love to do that. Thanks. You have no idea what this means to me," Seth answered, trying to sound as excited as he could.

He didn't even know who he was anymore. He didn't recognize himself. He was a selfish, heartless asshole who was trying to ruin his best friends' relationship. It actually scared him to realize what he was trying to do. And he hated himself for it. He hated that he felt this way, but he just couldn't help it.

"That's cool, man. Now hurry up and come over here. The family isn't complete without ya," Roman said before quickly hanging up shortly afterwards.

_Family_. He didn't know if he was part of that family anymore. Maybe he shouldn't be. Maybe he should just get away from them. From everything. He just wanted to leave. He didn't know how much his heart could still take. He was devastated.


	9. Hi there, cookie!

**Tadaaa…new chapter is up, ladies and gentlemen :)**

**Just a few words: As I use Roman Reigns as Roman's "real name", his parents are automatically Mr and Mrs Reigns. Just so you know ;-)**

**Thanks to my lovely readers for the reviews and love.**

**Enjoy & review :)**

Chapter 9: Hi there, cookie!

A lot had happened in the last two and a half months. Karo was five months pregnant now and things between she and Roman couldn't have been better. Seth had tried to keep his distance without making it too obvious that he was trying to avoid being around both of them together. He wasn't sure if he was over her already, but he was positive he was on a good way. Watching her baby bump grow more and more with each week passing by, he just knew that it didn't make sense to fight for her love. She didn't love him. She loved Roman. And he had to accept it.

At the beginning he'd had a hard time suppressing his feelings. As Karo had promised, they had spent more alone time with each other. Just lying in each other's arms and listening to music. Just like they always had. But for him it had been different. He'd more than once wanted to just press his lips onto hers, to touch her, to feel her, to taste her. But he was smart enough not to try anything. He knew that it would not only ruin his friendship with her but with Roman as well. He loved his friends. He was nothing without them. As much as it hurt him, he finally understood that he wasn't the man Karolina wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

About a month ago, Karo and Roman finally found a house in Pensacola, just a few minutes away from his parents' home. It was a beautiful place with enough space for all the babies Roman's mother expected his son and fiancée to have. What she loved most about the house was the view over the sea. She loved the ocean and being able to wake up every morning to the sounds of the water hitting the shore was more than she could ask for.

Karolina watched her boys intently as they were painting her baby's room. Together with Roman she had decided to paint it in a light yellow colour as they still didn't know if they would have a boy or a girl.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," she said and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

Although she was finally able to somehow control her hormones, it didn't stop her from changing her mind within a matter of minutes.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Roman said, an annoyed expression on his face.

Together with Dean and Seth he had already painted most of the room and having her decide that she didn't like the colour now was making him lose his nerves.

"I'm sorry, but...it just looks...uhm...awful," she said, looking at him unsure and biting her bottom lip nervously.

Roman just sighed heavily and looked at his two friends, silently begging them to say something before he would lose his mind.

"Princess, we've been painting that fucking room for more than an hour now. Don't freaking tell me that you don't like it or I'm gonna spank your ass," Dean said, slowly making his way over to her with the paint brush in his hand.

She started giggling when she realized what he was about to do and she wanted to get away from him as soon as she could but Dean was a lot faster. And stronger, of course.

"Ahh, don't do that...stop it...help me, Roman," she shrieked, looking at her fiancé expectantly but with a huge smile on her face.

Roman just looked at Seth who simply nodded his head, both of them smirking at each other and dipping the paint brush into the yellow colour before making their way over to Karolina who was held by Dean, not able to move.

"Boys, stop it...I swear to god...ahhh," she yelped when all three of them started painting her face and arms with the slobbery colour, all of them laughing hysterically.

"Now tell us again that you don't like the colour, pretty girl," Seth said and started tickling her sides, like he had always done.

He would lie if he said it was fine for him to touch her without having feelings for her but he tried his best to just see her as the best friend that she was.

"Okay okay...fine...I like the colour...it's beautiful. Just stop now, please," she pleaded, trying to catch her breath after laughing heartily with her lover and best friends.

When Dean and Seth let go of her, Roman kneeled down in front of Karo and softly _knocked_ on her tummy, trying to get their baby's attention.

"Hey cookie, it's me, daddy. Look, your mom is freaking out a little because of your room, but trust me when I say it looks awesome. You'll love it. Oh, and something else. Could you please finally give us a sign that you're alive other than your heartbeat on the ultrasonic device? I'm getting a little impatient here," he said and kissed her baby bump gently.

Karo cupped his cheek with her hand after he stood up again, standing on her tiptoes and placing a sweet kiss on his lips. Ever since knowing that she was pregnant he started talking to their baby on a daily basis and liked to call it 'cookie'. It made Karo's heart melt how much he tried to let their baby know that he loved it.

He was the best man a woman could ask for. Whenever she craved for something, he would get up and get it for her. Even in the middle of the night. He would give her massages wherever her body hurt and he anticipated her every wish.

Whenever he could, he would go to the doctor's appointments with her and even accompany her to the prenatal classes. It hurt him to know that soon he would be touring without her and he hated that he wasn't able to be with her for every appointment for the next 2-3 weeks. He loved hearing their baby's heartbeat whenever they were at the doctor's. It made him the proudest man in the world. It made Karo's heart melt to see how he watched the monitor in awe as it showed their baby's growing features. He was so excited to become a dad.

"Yellow looks good on you, babgirl," he said with a chuckle. Her whole face was covered in paint and it made her look even more adorable in Roman's eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing her, not caring that soon his face would be all yellow as well. They totally forgot about Dean and Seth standing there as they got lost in a passionate kiss, both of them moaning into each other's mouths.

"Roman Reigns, what the hell are you doing there?" Patricia, Roman's mom, asked shocked, making Roman and Karo jump at her sudden appearance.

Roman looked at his mother like a little boy who just got caught doing something forbidden, making both Dean and Seth burst out laughing.

"Well Mrs Reigns, you know that this is how the whole 'I'll get you pregnant' thing started, right?" Dean asked, making Seth laugh even harder.

"Shut the fuck up, Dean," Roman said, clearly embarrassed so that even Karo had to giggle. Due to his tan you couldn't really see that Roman was blushing, but Karo knew him too well. As much as he loved his mother, having her catch him in any kind of intimate situation definitely made him feel uneasy.

"Why don't you two go to the bathroom and clean up? I'm gonna look for you if you're not back in five minutes, trust me," Patricia said, a smile on her face after seeing her son take a deep breath.

He took Karo's hand and led her out of the baby's room, leaving his mom and two best friends behind.

"Are you boys hungry?" she asked them, laughing when both of them nodded their heads frantically.

Patricia was an angel, always taking care of Roman and his friends and cooking for them. She always wanted them all to be healthy and strong, even if that meant that Karo whined each and every time that she became fatter and fatter whenever they had dinner at his parents' house. But Roman loved every inch of her body because she was carrying his baby. And that was all that mattered to him.

**...**

"I'm so happy we're finally done with everything," Roman said after sighing heavily, placing a kiss on top of Karo's head.

After a long day of painting and assembling furniture, they were both sitting in the bathtub, finishing off the evening with a relaxing bath. Karo's back was pressed against his chest, the foam covering most of her body with only her growing baby bump still poking out of the water.

"So am I, although I haven't done anything but complain," she said and giggled, leaning her head back so that Roman could place his chin on her head.

"I allow you to still use your hormones as an excuse but not for too much longer, young lady," he answered and chuckled, moving his arms so that his hands could rest on her belly.

They both remained silent for a few moments, enjoying this moment to the fullest. The hot water was helping them to relax their muscles and the candles he lit were creating a romantic atmosphere.

She placed her hands over his, a content smile gracing her face.

"I can't believe there is a baby growing inside of me," she said before taking a deep breath, enjoying as Roman started caressing her belly.

His head was about to burst with pride when he looked at her baby bump. He was so proud of her and their baby and he couldn't wait to finally hold it in his arms. He knew he still had to wait for a little while but he was ready to become a father.

"Me neither. It's so surreal," he whispered, his eyes still fixed on their hands that were gently stroking her bump.

Again they both fell silent. A comfortable silence that they needed in order to recover from the last few weeks that had been costing their nerves and strengths. Today had been the last day of them renovating their house and Roman felt good knowing that tomorrow he could leave his fiancée in a fully done up house with everything she needed in order to feel safe and comfortable.

He still hated that he had to go back on tour again because leaving her behind was going to kill him. Ever since they had been dating there hadn't gone by a day without them spending it together. Now she would stay at home with him touring the States.

"What are you thinking about, baby?" she asked, sensing that his whole body tensed up.

He took a deep breath, contemplating if he should really tell her how he felt. He didn't want her to worry about him as that would probably stress her out. Something he wouldn't let happen to her.

"Wishing I could stay here with you...," he simply said, once again kissing the top of her head.

"Don't worry about me, Roman. I'm not alone. Your mom and your sisters will always be around and we said we would skype every day. I'm really going to miss you but I don't want you to stress yourself out because of me," she tried to reason, wanting to make him feel better.

Roman knew she was right but it still broke his heart knowing that he was going to miss so much while he was on tour. The prenatal classes, the doctor's appointments, watching her baby bump grow and simply accompanying her on the exciting journey of becoming a mom.

He decided not to take this conversation any further. He would deal with his worries on his own. Maybe even Seth would listen and tell him that everything would be fine. And deep down he knew that it would. It wasn't as if he would be gone constantly. He would probably have 1 or 2 days off every week. Days he would spend with her even if he was on the other side of the country.

Suddenly Karo winced, interrupting his thoughts and startling him.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, the worry in his voice unmistakeable.

Karo didn't answer at first. She held her breath for a moment and tried to keep still as much as she could. Something that made Roman even more nervous.

"For fuck's sake, tell me what's going on, Karo?" he once again asked, this time not only worry but also impatience in his voice.

"Don't you feel it?" she questioned, now guiding his hands to the right side of her belly.

"Feel what?" he asked confused, millions of thoughts and questions running through his mind. He was still startled by her wincing, not being able to think straight.

She pressed one of his hands against her soft skin, closing her eyes tightly and trying to relax as much as she could, hoping it would happen again.

And it did indeed. Once again her baby kicked her softly, making both Roman and Karolina gasp in awe.

"Babygirl...what is this?" he asked, fully aware of what was happening but not being able to really fathom it. It felt so unreal.

"Roman...this is our baby...," she stuttered, tears building in her eyes.

After suffering from all the side effects of being pregnant like throwing up and being tired and moody, this was the best and most overwhelming feeling she had ever experienced.

Happy tears were now streaming down her face as she couldn't believe that for the first time ever their baby showed them that it was alive.

"Oh God...this can't be real...," he said, taking a deep breath and trying to keep his act together. "This is unbelievable."

He moved his hands all over her stomach slowly, trying to _catch_ the baby's movements. He was fascinated and words couldn't describe what he was feeling in this very moment. He was over the moon.

"How does this feel, babygirl?" he asked, wanting to know how it was for her to have the baby move inside of her.

He couldn't even imagine how this must be for her when he himself was absolutely thrilled about it. He had experienced a lot of happy and exciting moments with her but this was by far the most moving thing he had ever felt.

"I don't even know how to put this into words, baby. It's breath-taking. It's amazing to finally feel it for real, you know?" she replied, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of his hands caressing her bump while her baby reacted to its daddy's touches.

But this did not only soothe her but their _cookie_ as well because after a few more moments there were no more movements inside of her, making her sigh in frustration.

"It fell asleep," she said, giggling when he groaned annoyed.

"Damn, I was enjoying the company," he replied, sighing theatrically. "I really don't understand. I mean, I gave it my whole attention."

That was her cue. All this time while being in this tub with him, she had this funny feeling inside of her but with their baby interrupting their togetherness, she had been completely distracted. Now that their baby was asleep, she wanted to make the most of the time they still had until he had to leave in the morning.

"I know something else that would need some attention," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

Once again she took his hands and guided them to her breasts, letting him cup them gently. As soon as he touched her there, she breathed in sharply and closed her eyes tightly. For about two weeks she had been insatiable, her sexual drive and desire exceptionally high. Not that Roman had any problems with that, but it surprised him nonetheless. Together with her he had been reading quite a few books about pregnancy and babies, and if he remembered correctly one of the books said that in the second trimester women couldn't get enough of their men, something that put a smile on his face.

"Hmm, and who gives you attention when I'm gone?" he whispered into her ear, nibbling on her earlobe and making her shiver.

She took a deep breath, already feeling the wetness increase in between her legs. She loved when he whispered into her ear with that deep voice of his. It always sent chills up and down her spine.

"Well, I've taken care of this already," she replied, licking her suddenly dry lips when he started playing with her nipple ring.

"Oh, have you? You've searched for another lover on the internet?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Exactly. But thankfully he doesn't talk. He just vibrates," she said, biting her bottom lip and suddenly feeling how his cock hardened against the small of her back.

"You've bought a vibrator?" he asked surprised, not thinking that she would do that.

Then again there had never been the necessity of her owning one as he'd always been around, pleasuring her himself. But things were changing now.

"Uhm, you have a problem with me...well...you know...," she asked nervously, slightly blushing and being happy he couldn't see it as her back was still facing him.

"Masturbating? No, not at all. You can do it as much as you want. As long as no other man touches you, you can use whatever pleases you," he said, chuckling when he felt that she was uncomfortable in this conversation.

She swallowed hard when one of his hands found her clit, gently teasing it by rubbing it in between his thumb and index finger. Talking about vibrators with him touching her at the most intimate part of her body was more than she could handle. His growing erection didn't help matters.

"We should get outta here. I want to see your latest acquisition," he said and moved a little, signalling her that he wanted to get up.

She moved forward a little, giving him enough space to get up and step out of the bathtub. He immediately extended his hand to her, helping her up as her baby bump already gave her a hard time doing specific things.

When she was standing in front of him, she started tracing his abs with her fingernails, making him moan in response. His cock was fully erect now, making her even wetter instantly. She was going to miss him. It sounded stupid but she would not only miss Roman as a human being but his manhood as well. Something that made her giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, confusion written all over her face.

"I was just thinking that I will definitely miss your cock when you're gone," she said and immediately stopped giggling, looking up at him shyly and giving him a weak smile when she saw that he grinned at her.

"Hmm, I bet you will. But you know what? My cock is gonna miss your pussy as well," he replied with a chuckle, making her drip wet now.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down hastily, pressing her lips onto his softly. She wanted him. And she wanted him badly. Once more she needed to feel him inside of her. She was hungry for him.

"Let's go to the bedroom, babygirl," he said after breaking the kiss shortly afterwards, quickly reaching behind him to get some towels and helping her to dry off.

He took his time to let the towel wander all over her body, his eyes mesmerizing each and every inch of her body. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and her baby bump made him love her even more.

He let the towel fall to the floor when he was done, kneeling down in front of her and placing his ear on her belly.

"Are you still asleep, cookie?" he asked and waited a few seconds before he continued. "Perfect. I know you must be a little annoyed with me penetrating your little comfort zone in there, but daddy needs to take care of mommy. You don't want her to be grumpy, do ya?"

He placed small kisses around her belly button before standing up again and kissing her lips passionately. He took her hand into his and gently dragged her into the bedroom, closing the door behind him softly.

"Show me," he simply said, looking at her expectantly, his eyes reflecting pure lust.

She licked her lips nervously, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable. Did he really want her to get her vibrator? They had never really used any kind of sex toy before and she actually bought this vibrator for her own use.

"Babe, there really is no need to be ashamed. We've done some kinky stuff before, haven't we? You can trust me," he said while moving closer to her, cupping her face with his hands.

She took a deep breath and nodded her head, trying to relax as she knew that he was right. She really shouldn't feel embarrassed about certain things. Masturbation was still as a taboo issue nowadays and letting him know that she would be doing it while he was away felt weird. But he didn't seem to mind. Quite the contrary, it turned him on.

She turned around and made her way over to her bedside table, opening the top drawer and retrieving a rather large, purple-coloured vibrator which Roman immediately took away from her in order to examine it curiously.

"That one is...huge," he said, a smirk on his face.

Karo swallowed hard, this time not wanting to blush. She wanted to be self-confident and strong in front of him and not feel like a little girl.

"I'm used to huge things," she said, winking at him and seductively licking her bottom lip.

His smirk grew even bigger, beaming at her with pride. He was a man after all.

"Lay down," he said, his voice even deeper than before, making her whole body shudder in anticipation.

It was their last night together before he had to be back on the road again for more than a week. And he wanted to give her something she would always remember.

She did as she was told, watching him in excitement as he looked at the sex toy again.

"We might use that later," he said, putting it down on the bed next to her before spreading her legs and slowly laying down in between them.

He started kissing her inner thighs, over and over again, his nose slightly touching her mound when he changed from one thigh to the other, making her take a sharp breath.

He loved teasing her. And tonight he would tease her until she would beg him to let her cum. He knew that ever since she was pregnant, she was even more sensitive when it came to his touches and that was something he needed to use.

He now started kissing her lips, feeling that she tried to push up her hips so that he would finally give in and start licking her. He lifted his arms and slowly moved them up, cupping her breasts with his hands and gently kneading them. His palms teasing her already hardened nipples, making her moan out loud.

She was too distracted with his hands that she completely forgot about his mouth, yelping when he finally licked her clit with the tip of his tongue, sending sensations through her whole body. He started sucking on the little bundle of nerves, letting it go with a popping sound before furiously licking it again with his tongue. The feeling of both his hands and mouth made her dizzy, the combination too much for her to handle. He looked deep into her eyes while he worked her with his mouth, this time letting her lift her hips to meet the movements of his tongue. The look she was giving him gave him goose bumps all over her body. He so badly wanted to plunge himself into her and have his way with her, but he wasn't done with her yet. Not at all.

He only stuck his tongue out now, letting her ride his face by pushing her hips up and down. He had no idea if his cock could get any harder but it almost hurt. He removed one of his hands from her breast and started stroking himself, turning Karo on even more.

He pushed her hips down with his other hand, not wanting her to exhaust herself too much. Compared to before he now used his tongue fully, moving it from her clit down to her wet opening, licking up and down along her entrance. He stopped stroking himself and used his now free hand to start rubbing her hardened nub, making her grab his hair softly in ecstasy. She was about to lose it. She didn't know how much longer she could take it.

"Baby...I'm close...," she panted, burying her hand in his hair now and pulling at it slightly.

He immediately stopped and started kissing her thighs again, making her sigh in frustration after losing the connection.

"Don't cum yet," he whispered in between kisses, giving her time to calm down so that he could prolong the foreplay just a little more.

He could feel that her muscles slowly started to relax again after being tensed up before, every cell of her body on fire.

"But Roman...," she said, looking down at him and pleading him with her eyes to carry on.

"Enjoy this babygirl. Just relax and let me make you feel good," he replied with a smile on his face before continuing with the sweet torture.

He started placing kisses around her clit, his facial hair teasing it, sending chills up and down her spine. Her heart was beating fast in her chest and she felt like her whole body was about to explode. She was dripping wet by now, her body more than ready to get its release.

But Roman had other things in mind. While sucking on her little bundle of nerves again, he inserted one finger into her hole, adding another one just a few seconds afterwards. She arched her back, holding her breath and biting her lips which only encouraged him to add another finger, making her yelp.

"You like that, baby?" he asked in between licks, knowing that his dirty talk was something that she wanted and needed.

She just nodded her head, not being able to form a coherent sentence. The grip on his hair was even tighter now, the slight pain only turning him on even more. His tongue was licking her furiously now, his fingers bumping into her forcefully until he once again felt that she tensed up. He immediately stopped, his hands now pushing her hips down.

"Not yet. Have a little more patience, baby," he said when he looked up at her, his lips swollen by her wetness.

Karolina closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. As much as she hated that he kept teasing her, it felt absolutely incredible at the same time. She loved how his skilled tongue was able to send her to paradise. He knew exactly how to pleasure her.

Her breath was steady again, her body relaxed. A sign for him to start again. He immediately buried his tongue into her slick folds, tasting her and swallowing her juices while at the same time rubbing her clit with his thumb. He started to moan, sending vibrations through her body which reminded him of something. Although he wanted to let her cum this time, he let go of her again.

"Stop, don't say anything," he suddenly said when she was about to yell at him for driving her insane.

He took the vibrator which was lying next to her, switching it on and wrapping his hand around it, feeling the vibrations while licking his swollen lips. Karo just watched him in excitement, the thought of him pleasuring her with the sex toy almost sending her over the edge.

He positioned himself in between her legs again, kneeling in front of her and parting her lips with his fingers. He guided the toy to her clit, letting the tip of it touch the little bundle of nerves, the vibrations overwhelming her so that her whole body starting shaking. He started stroking himself again, his own erection driving him insane and seeing her lose her mind didn't help matters.

Very slowly he moved the vibrator downwards, along her wetness until he found her hole, all of a sudden pushing the toy inside of it. Karo couldn't help but let out a small scream, the feeling of having it inside of her making her bite her bottom lip in pleasure. She moved her hips against his hand which was plunging his little helper into her, her wetness making it easy to slide in and out.

She could feel the sensation building up in the pit of her stomach, her muscles clenching at the feeling.

"Stop Roman. I want to cum with you inside of me," she begged, pushing his hand away gently and thereby releasing the vibrator, taking it away from him before switching it off and throwing it to the side.

He was thankful that she wanted him inside of her, his hard cock needing its release urgently. He took his shaft into his hand, guiding it to her wet opening and entering her gently, diving into her inch by inch until he was buried deep inside of her. He knew that both of them wouldn't last long. She had been close twice, maybe even three times. And him watching her almost made him cum as well.

He started moving in and out of her in a fast but steady pace. There was no need to start off slowly, they both wanted and needed to reach their climax as soon as possible before the sweet torture would stop being sweet but become painful.

He moved his hips in circles, each and every thrust becoming more powerful and intense. She grabbed his biceps, digging her nails into them and moaning out loud. She was close. She was about to lose it. And this time he would let her.

"Cum for me babygirl. I want you to cum for me...come on," he encouraged her, her eyes fixed on his.

His words were all she needed to finally let loose and have her orgasm wash over her, the sensations almost making her pass out. This must have been the most intense orgasm she had ever had and now she knew why Roman wanted her to be patient.

She tightened her walls around his cock, wanting him to reach his own peak and have him empty himself deep inside of her. His movements were unsteady and unorganized now and it took him only a few more thrusts before he finally spurted his seed into her, collapsing on top of her but immediately prepping himself up when he noticed that he was putting too much weight on her baby bump.

He kissed her forehead softly, his breath shallow and unsteady. He didn't want to let go of her ever again but their mixed juices were dripping out of her and he knew that it made her feel uncomfortable.

He slowly slid out of her and laid down next to her, wrapping his arms around her with her placing her head on his chest.

"Well, I hope I gave you something to remember," he said, a smirk on his face.

"You certainly did. Although I hated you for teasing me like that, I still love you in the end," she said and giggled before she suddenly grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. "Plus, you woke our baby."

A smile spread across Roman's face when he once again felt his baby kick his mother lightly. That was definitely something he would remember. Forever.

"And I love you, Karolina...both of you," he replied, once again kissing her forehead and enjoying the last few hours before he unfortunately had to leave his babies again.


	10. Everything happens for a reason

**This chapter was partly written by my awesome friend ****ShannonTheAwesomeOne****. Babe, there are a bunch of your lines and ideas in here and I hope I could make you proud a little. Thanks for always being there for me whenever I need your advice.**

**Thanks to ****pezziecoyote****, as always. You are so damn awesome!**

**And thanks to all of my lovely readers for following and reviewing. You always make my day with your feedback.**

**Now enjoy and review :)**

Chapter 10: Everything happens for a reason

Ever since Roman had left in the morning, Karolina was feeling sad and devastated. She thought that seeing him leave would be okay, but she couldn't remember how many hours she cried after finally letting him go.

"Karo, would you please stop pulling a face like the world is about to end?" Shannon asked annoyed after getting two spoons out of the top drawer of Karo's and Roman's new kitchen. She thought that maybe some ice-cream would help her friend to cheer up again.

Together with Roman, Shannon had decided to stay with her friend for the next few days so that she could get used to being without her fiancé. He knew that she would be depressed at first and he didn't want her to feel lonely.

"But I miss him," Karo pouted before burying her face in her hands.

"He only just left this morning, sweetie. And he keeps messaging you every five fucking minutes. So relax," her friend answered, sighing heavily when she realized that the coming days were going to be exhausting.

Shannon missed Dean as well but she seemed to handle it better than her pregnant friend did. It was understandable though. Her hormones still played games with her mind once in a while and this was actually the first time they spent apart from each other. She just needed to get used to being without him.

It was only one more hour until Monday Night RAW would start and Karo had a hard time accepting that in this very moment she wasn't sitting in The Shield's locker room with her boys as she always had until now.

"Sweetie, I know you miss him but you really need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. You are not only stressing out yourself but the baby as well," Shannon tried to reason, knowing that mentioning the baby would open Karo's eyes.

Karo just nodded her head and gave her friend a weak smile. She was right. It didn't help crying her eyes out over something she couldn't change. She knew she could trust Roman and he promised her to text or call whenever he could.

"Thank god, I hate being on my feet... My ankles are killing me," Karo said after finally sitting down on the couch, resting her legs on the table in front of it.

"Pfft, you think aching ankles are bad? Try being spanked on a daily basis, woman," her friend said, making Karo choke on the ice cream she just shoved into her mouth.

"Whoa, what? Why the hell are you getting spanked? Wait... oh god, Dean likes spanking you!? Ouch," she replied before grimacing.

They hadn't had time for girl talk for quite some time now as either the boys were around or they were busy renovating the house. And now they both were curious how the other one was doing. In every aspect possible.

"Maybe you should try spanking him," Karo added, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Hah, I've already tried that. I attempted to put Dean over my knee to spank him one night but he got really pissed off and went to sleep in Seth's room. And to top it all off, he came banging on the door at like 2 in the morning because he forgot his damn key to the room. He tried to apologize but I was so damn tired that I just flipped him the bird and went back to bed," Shannon said, bursting out laughing after seeing her friend's shocked face.

A few moments later her laughter died down as Karo remained silent, shoving another spoon full of ice cream into her mouth.

"Uhm...was this too much information?" Shannon asked, looking at the pregnant woman next to her confused.

Karo took a deep breath and started poking the ice-cold delicacy in her bowl, not being able to look at her friend.

"I wouldn't mind Dean spanking me, to be honest," Karo said, her voice almost a whisper.

"HOLY SHIT," Shannon yelled, bursting out in laughter once again. "You have dirty thoughts about my boyfriend, you little slut?"

Karo swallowed hard, not believing that she had really said that. She was out of her mind. Shannon was probably going to kill her.

"Sorry Shannon, I have no idea what's going on with me but I'm such a horny bitch at the moment. I tried ravishing Roman like three times a day but eventually his dick...you know... wasn't willing to cooperate anymore. I even bought a vibrator as I..." she said but was suddenly interrupted by her brown-haired friend.

"You've bought a fucking vibrator? Karo, you're finally growing up," Shannon said, still not being able to stop laughing.

"Oh, shut up. You act like I'm some prude little virgin," Karo replied, pouting a little before a huge smile spread across her face.

"Yeah, a virgin. And that's why you have a bun in the oven, sweetheart," she answered, eating some of her ice cream as well.

"Well, speaking about all of this... how's Dean otherwise?" Karo asked, looking at her friend with a shy smile on her face.

"Whoa now, I don't ask about Roman, do I? But uhm…since we're talking about it. I mean…holy hell, the guy's hung like a fucking horse. And it's pretty friggin' surprising, I mean, you don't expect a weird guy like Dean to be so good but dang. But the thing is that he's still so fucking sex-crazed and while I don't mind it, I'd really like to have intelligent conversation with him once in a while, you know?" Shannon replied, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, I guess I understand. But did you really think that Dean is the type of guy you can have a relationship with and expect some profound conversations or discussions? I'll be honest with you now, I think you and him together is just a...well...'we fuck each other exclusively' thing," she answered, looking at her unsure.

"It's more than just sex, Karolina. I'm sure of that. I even think he might love me but...you know...we'll probably never have some serious talk about anything. But well, that's fine...as long as he makes me cum, it's all good," Shannon said with a chuckle.

"So, he's the rough and kinky sex kinda guy, huh? Roman keeps babying me at the moment, which I appreciate but come on. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't take a slap on the ass, you know?" Karo said, finally being able to somehow open up to her friend.

She had always been the kind of girl that kept things to herself. She barely talked about sex or anything related to it. Until now Seth had been the only one that she was able to talk to about it which was strange considering he was a man.

"Well, just tell him you need a good fuck. I really don't know about Roman's preferences when it comes to the bedroom, but I'm pretty sure he would like it rough as well," Shannon said before putting the empty bowl on the table in front of her.

"So you think it's my fault?" Karo asked, a little irritated.

"Oh my God, no. I just think that he thinks you want it gentle and slow. But goddamn, just show him how you want it, babe. I mean I'm pretty sure he will never be able to be as good as Dean is, but he might as well try," she answered, a cocky smile on her face.

"Oh, if you only knew how huge my man's dick is, you would shut up now," Karo said, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"Which doesn't change the fact that you want MY man to spank YOUR ass," the brown-haired girl answered, laughing at her friend when she saw that she was blushing.

"Don't you dare tell him or Roman about it," she pleaded, feeling quite embarrassed und uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

Their conversation ended abruptly when Karo's cell phone started ringing. She moved forward and grabbed it, a smile on her face when she saw that it was Roman.

"Hey baby, how are you?" she asked him, her heart aching when she once again realized he wasn't coming home to her that night.

"I'm good. I really do miss you though," he answered, his voice deep and quiet.

"I miss you too. But Shannon and I..." she started but was interrupted when someone seemingly took the phone away from her fiancé.

"Put us on loud speaker, princess," Dean suddenly said, making Karo feel uneasy as she couldn't forget about her confession about her wanting him to spank her.

Karo did as she was told, placing the cell phone on her baby bump and waiting for him to continue.

"Shannon? Babe? Can you hear me?" Dean asked, a huge smile spreading across Shannon's face.

She loved hearing his voice. She could listen to him for hours and she wouldn't get bored. There was something about the way he talked. It was fascinating. He was fascinating.

"I do, hi baby," she said, her heart beating fast in her chest. She would never want the butterflies to go away ever.

"We have you on loud speaker as well. Don't be rude and say hi to the girls, Seth," Dean yelled, making the girls laugh.

"Hey ladies. Hope you're doing fine. Don't miss me too much, aight?" Seth said, putting a smile on Karo's face.

She almost missed him as much as she missed Roman. He had always been there for her whenever she needed him and him being away really broke her heart.

"Oh, don't worry about me. But I think Karolina is missing her Sethie though," Shannon answered with a chuckle, not knowing how much that meant to Seth.

He swallowed hard, trying to control his emotions. He had to keep his act together and not let the feelings resurface again. He was on a good road of forgetting about her. If that was possible at all. But knowing that she was missing him felt like a step back in his _healing process_.

"Well, Sethie misses his Karolina too and...," Seth started but was instantly stopped by one of his best friends.

"But Roman misses his babies just a little more. I love you, baby. I just wanted you to know that before we have to go out there and serve justice," Roman said, almost making Karo cry. _Fucking hormones_, she thought.

"And I...uhm...miss my girl as well. I...can't wait to have you back in my arms again, sweet cheeks," Dean said, making Shannon smile weakly.

She knew he still couldn't tell her that he loved her but he tried to let her know in every way possible and that's all she needed so far. One day he would tell her. She was sure he would. He just needed a little more time.

"We love and miss you all, too. Be safe out there, ok?" Karo replied, feeling so much better after hearing their voices. Especially Roman's.

"Yeah, take care of yourselves, boys. We love y'all," Shannon added, her voice cheerful as it always was.

"Bye babies. Talk to you laaater," Dean said before quickly hanging up the phone.

Shannon and Karo looked at each other and couldn't help but burst out laughing. Dean could be such a goofball sometimes. Karo didn't know if he could ever be serious about something but it was none of her business anyways. She liked him the way he was.

"Sooo, where were we?" Shannon asked, winking at her friend and giggling when she saw Karo blushing once again.

"Can we just drop it please? Just because I have this one fantasy about Dean doesn't mean anything," she tried to reason, but raised an eyebrow at her friend when she shook her head.

"Come on. You want him to fuck you," Shannon said, a huge smile on her face.

She loved teasing her pregnant friend, knowing that she felt bad for having these thoughts but Shannon honestly didn't care. She would lie if she said that she wasn't curious about how Roman was as a lover.

"Oh shut up. No I don't. Why would I? MY man is definitely better than YOURS," Karo countered.

"Yeah right. He sure as hell isn't. MY man is THE man, you jealous bitch," she said, both of the girls laughing hysterically now.

"Jealous? Hah, I bet your man isn't able to make you cum several times a day," the blonde-haired girl said, giggling when she gave her friend a loser sign.

That was all Shannon needed to pay her back, all of a sudden throwing a pillow at her friend, taking another one and hitting Karo's head with it softly.

After yelping in surprise and realizing what was going on, Karo took a pillow herself and started fighting back. They both were laughing heartily, hitting back and forth, jumping at each other while still being careful of her growing baby bump.

"My man is still better than yours," Shannon yelled, not being able to stop laughing.

"Noooo, mine is," her friend replied, throwing another pillow at her.

Shannon wanted to fight back and counter once again when all of a sudden they were interrupted.

_SIERRA-HOTEL-INDIA-ECHO-LIMA-DELTA...SHIELD_

They immediately turned their attention to the TV screen, their hearts beating fast in their chests when they saw their men running down the stairs, all of them with gold around their waists.

Karo was so proud of Roman and so was Shannon of Dean.

"Oh my God, they look so fucking hot today," Shannon said and clapped her hands excitedly when her cell phone beeped in her jeans pocket.

"They do. God, we're some lucky bitches," Karo answered, her eyed still glued to the TV.

"Haha These girls on twitter are cracking me up," her friend said when checking her phone. "You know, not all of these fangirls are crazy. Some are actually quite hilarious. Come on, join the fun."

Karo looked at her confused but grabbed her phone and logged into twitter as well. She had tried to avoid contact with the so-called fangirls as much as she could because most of them had treated her like a piece of shit. And that was something she really couldn't take anymore. But she knew that whenever someone would fuck with her, Shannon would be right there to defend her.

She immediately checked Shannon's profile and couldn't help but laugh when she read the first few tweets.

_GoodGollyMissMoxley: ShannonDuh, was it your idea to have Dean ditch the vest? #thankyou_

_ShannonDuh: Hey GoodGollyMissMoxley, getting rid of the vest wasn't my idea. #armporn #wisedecisiononhispart_

"You're fucking crazy, Shan. Arm porn? Really?" Karo asked, wiping away tears of joy.

"Sure. Look at him. Look at his arms. Unf," Shannon said, nudging her friend's arm. "Come on, join us. Just reply to a tweet or something. It's fun."

Karo took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. What could happen anyways? So why not go crazy as well?

_InsaneCaliGurl: SHUT UP MY BOYS ARE ON. #WWE #RAW #HoundsOfJustice #TheShield_!

_KarolinaWWE: hey InsaneCaliGurl, care to share those boys? #mine #sharingwithShannon #youcanhaveSeth"_

"Haha, you want to share your little Sethie? You're gonna break his heart," Shannon laughed, happy that her friend had the courage to involve herself in the conversations the girls were having on twitter.

"Oh look, there's another one that might interest you," she added, showing her the tweet she was talking about.

_BelieveintheReigns: WWERomanReigns #whipmyhair I wanna brush his hair._

_KarolinaWWE: Careful there, believeinthereigns. He's particular about his hair. #backandforth_

"They wanna brush his hair? They're weird," Karo stated, frowning about what people wanted to do with her man.

"Says the person that has an obsession with his armpit hair," Shannon stated, remembering that not too long ago Karo had told her that she loved snuggling into Roman and nuzzle her nose in his armpit which was, quite frankly, really awkward.

"Whatever," Karo snapped and looked at her friend unsure. "You think I should tweet something as well?"

"Of course. Go ahead sweetie. You're gonna make friends if you try being down to earth and relaxed about this whole thing," she encouraged her, curious about what she wanted to write.

_KarolinaWWE: UNF, look at my man WWERomanReigns... #hotdamn_

_DaShadowAngel: KarolinaWWE is one of us, Shield Army. #fangirlpower_

_ShannonDuh: Hey DaShadowAngel, KarolinaWWE is very hormonal, don't mind her. #horny4roman_

"Oh you little bitch," Karo said and laughed, both of them not really watching their men's match as they were too busy tweeting.  
_  
KarolinaWWE: Oh ShannonDuh, you'd better shup up now #youwillgetspanked_

_ShannonDuh: Can't blame KarolinaWWE for getting hot though. #armporn #UnitedStatesOfArmPorn_

"God, I just can't with you, Shan," she said and tried to catch her breath. She was having such a great time with these girls and it was refreshing to see that not all of them were crazy.

_KarolinaWWE: ShannonDuh His arms are quite impressive...I bet he's pretty strong #somebodyhelpme_

_ShannonDuh: KarolinaWWE's hormones are so weird that she wants Dean. #SharingIsCaring #GimmeSomeRoman #Switcheroo_

_Shannon5288: ShannonDuh and KarolinaWWE should share with us too #hornyforthemall_

Both Karo and Shannon wanted to reply when suddenly Michael Cole was screaming. Not that he had never done it before but this time it was different. The girls immediately turned their attention back to the TV, shocked when they saw that Seth was lying in the middle of the ring, holding his knee in pain. Out of nowhere Roman came into the picture and speared Daniel Bryan for the pin...1...2...3.

But all Karo really cared about was Seth who was now giving the officials the x-sign, signalling them that this was real.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Karo asked shocked, her hands shaking so much that her cell phone fell to the ground.

"I don't know, sweetie. That really doesn't look good," Shannon replied, concern written all over her face.

When they showed the slow-motion, you could see that Seth wanted to show his high-knee from the top rope, but instead of hitting Daniel Bryan's head, he landed on his left foot while his right knee twisted dangerously before hitting the mat.

"Oh fuck," Karo said quietly, intently watching as Seth was brought back to the backstage area on a stretcher.

Karo's heart broke to see him like that. He had always been such a strong man and he would never simulate an injury which once again convinced her that he was severely injured. She tried her best to choke down her tears. She had been crying too much already but she just couldn't help it. She was afraid.

"Sweetie, don't cry. He's gonna be fine. He's a fighter," Shannon said, trying to comfort her as much as she could which was difficult considering the state Karo was in.

Karo just nodded her head, not being able to form a coherent sentence. She was at a loss of words. She felt horrible knowing that her best friend seemed to be in so much pain. She didn't even want to think about how she would feel if this happened to Roman.

"I just texted Dean to tell him that they should call us as soon as they can," Shannon said, interrupting her thoughts and wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulder.

She still stared at the TV screen, not realizing that another match had started although it was Kaitlyn who was the one that was _taking care_ of her diva's championship belt until she would be coming back.

Shannon decided to remain silent. She would let Karo cry because that was what she needed to do in order to handle this situation. She was worried about Seth as well but she would never have such a strong bond with him as Karo had. He was one of the sweetest guys she had ever met and she felt bad knowing that he would probably be out for a couple of weeks.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her ringing cell phone, the picture on the display revealing that it was Dean calling her.

"Dean, how is he?" Shannon immediately asked, sensing that Karo was moving next to her and looking at her expectantly.

"We don't know yet. He's in insane pain and they'll probably bring him to the hospital now. Doing some x-rays and MRI or whatever this shit is called," Dean replied, the sadness in his voice unmistakable.

He loved Seth like a brother and seeing him in pain hurt him as well. They were family. All of them. Roman, Karolina, Seth, Shannon and Dean. And even the unborn child Karo was carrying. And if one of them felt bad, they all did.

"Will you keep us up to date?" she asked her boyfriend, wanting more than ever to hug him in this very moment as she had the feeling that he needed her. And that was something that hardly ever happened because Dean always pretended to be that strong and ice-cold kind of guy.

"I will, sweet cheeks. Listen, Roman wants to talk to Karolina real quick. I'll call you later, k? Bye babe," he said quietly, giving the phone to Roman and making his way back to where the WWE officials were still examining Seth, not wanting to leave his best friend alone for long.

"Roman?" Karo asked with a shaky voice as soon as Shannon handed her the phone.

"Babygirl," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"Please tell me he will be ok," she said, another wave of tears building up in her eyes.

"He will be, sunshine. I promise you he will be. But listen to me now. I want you to stop crying. Don't worry, ok? We're here with him and he's gonna be fine. You need to relax now and not stress yourself or the baby out, you hear me?" he asked, his voice soft but yet demanding.

Karo swallowed hard, the tears streaming down her face. But Roman was right, as always. She needed to stop worrying too much. There was nothing she could do right now. She had to wait and see what really happened and crying didn't make anything better.

"Will you call me as soon as you know what exactly he has?" she asked him, taking a deep breath and trying to get her act together again.

"The minute we do know more you'll be the first one I call," he said and covered the mouthpiece of the phone shortly afterwards.

Karolina heard him talking to somebody and it killed her not to know what was happening. She wanted to be there with them. She wanted to hold Seth's hand and tell him he would be fine again. But no, her fat pregnant ass was sitting in Pensacola and she felt more left outside alone than ever.

"We're going to the hospital now, babygirl. Remember my words. Relax or I'm gonna spank you," he said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

Karo looked at Shannon wide-eyed, knowing that she must have heard what Roman had just told her. And she certainly did because she immediately started giggling, remembering the conversation she had with her friend earlier.

"Okay baby. Talk to you later. And tell Seth I love him," she said and hung up the phone after sighing heavily.

The next few hours would be very long and it would be tough just sitting there and waiting for one of the boys to call them to say how bad Seth's injury really was. But Shannon needed to distract Karo somehow. Roman would want her to try anything to make his pregnant fiancée feel better. And she wouldn't want to disappoint him.

"Hey sweetie, how about we go outside and watch the sky? I know you're a hopeless romantic and maybe we can spot a few shooting stars. Seth needs all the luck he can get, right?" Shannon asked, getting up and extending both of her hands to Karo to help her up.

Karo didn't say a word. She just followed Shannon outside, knowing that arguing wouldn't make sense as Shannon would not accept any excuses. And maybe it was for the best. Maybe she really needed to clear her mind and think positive. She was still hoping that Seth would be fine. And maybe he would be.

...

After almost two endless hours, Karo's cell phone finally rang, startling her as she was deep in thought. She didn't even look at the caller ID, knowing that it must be Roman who was calling in the middle of the night.

"Baby, how is he? What's wrong? Will he be okay?" she asked nervously, thousands of questions and thoughts running through her mind.

"Whoa, too many questions in such a short time. Calm down, babygirl," he said before he took a deep breath. "He has a tear of the cruciate ligament in his right knee. He'll stay overnight and he's gonna have surgery tomorrow morning already."

"Oh my God...that's horrible. How long will he be out?" Karo asked, her heart breaking for her best friend.

She looked at Shannon with fear in her eyes after putting Roman on loud speaker so that she could listen as well.

"For about 6 months. The doc says he'll be on crutches for a few weeks and then has to go to rehab," he replied.

Not only Seth, but Roman and Dean were devastated by the news. They had no idea what would happen to their tag team championships. Or the Shield at all. Without Seth there simply would be no Shield.

"Are you gonna stay with him?" Shannon asked Roman, wondering how things would work out for Seth.

"Yeah, I guess we'll stay until he can get out in about 2 days," he answered while running a hand through his hair.

He hadn't even had the time to take a shower and was still in his ring gear, not wanting to leave Seth alone.

"And what happens then? Is he going back to Davenport?" Shannon, who seemed to be the only one who was thinking logically and looking ahead, asked him.

They could hear him sighing heavily. He had been thinking about this for the last hour while the doctors were examining his friend. Nobody would be waiting for him in Iowa. There was no girlfriend, his parents were busy day and night and his friends were either touring the United States or living in Pensacola.

"Babygirl?" he asked softly, contemplating once again if he should really ask her but he was sure that Karo would support his idea. "How about Seth stays with you for a while? I don't want him to be on his own while he's with those crutches and I'm afraid he'll have a hard time doing everyday things by himself for the next few weeks."

"Do you really think that's a good idea, baby?" she asked him, not sure if he trusted her with Seth's health in her pregnant state.

"Of course. Shannon could be touring with us again so that Dean stops bitching around while you won't be alone with Seth being there. I know you might need to help him a little in the beginning, but as soon as he can walk on his own again, he will be there for you and help you. I would feel better knowing that someone was with you. Just in case something happens," he replied, his idea making even more sense now after he spoke them out.

Karo looked at Shannon who nodded her head in agreement. She thought that Roman had a point when he said that both of them could support each other in the current state they were in. And she knew that Karo would feel better having him around other than worrying about him constantly.

"Okay, bring him with you when you come back on Thursday," she replied, a small smile gracing her face.

And so it was settled. Seth would spend the next few weeks or even months in Pensacola, trying to get back in shape as soon as he could. And Karo would make sure that everything worked out. Everything.

**Author's note: I'm sorry that I wasn't able to put in the "at" signs in the twitter conversations. I tried everything but it didn't work. Hope it was still easy to read. Sorry guys.**


	11. Fantasies and live shows, right Karolina

**I have a new chapter for y'all :)**

**I actually don't really know what to say other than THANK YOU to all of you awesome people.**

**Now enjoy & review, my lovely readers!**

Chapter 11: Fantasies and live shows, right Karolina?

Seth was looking out of the window, staring into space and completely being lost in thought. He'd had surgery two days ago and now he was on his way to Pensacola with Roman and Dean sitting in the front while he was resting his injured knee on the backseat.

He was mad at himself. He was mad at Roman and Dean. And he was mad at Karo and Shannon. But he knew that in the end all of this had been his own fault.

After listening to his four best friends talk on the phone and telling each other how much they missed and loved each other, he had become furious. He was so angry and out of it that for the first time in his career he had botched a move. And now he was out for 6 months.

"You ok, Seth?" Roman asked while looking at him through the rear-view mirror, worrying about his friend as he seemed unusually quiet.

"As okay as I can be," he muttered, knowing that it wasn't fair to snap at his friend but he just couldn't help it.

"Look man, I'm really sorry about all of this and I sure as hell know that there isn't a lot that could cheer you up right now but maybe it helps to let you know that Karo is excited to have you around," Roman replied, ignoring the fact that Seth was being moody.

Karolina. His Karolina. She was excited to spend time with him. He tried his best to keep the pissed off expression on his face but he failed miserably. A huge smile spread across his face, the thought of her waiting for him making his heart beat fast in his chest. He knew that Roman, Dean and Shannon would leave again in two days and from then on he had her to himself. Just Seth and Karolina. As it was supposed to be.

He shut his eyes tightly, mentally slapping himself for even thinking about this. On one hand he was incredibly thrilled to spend time with her, but at the same time he knew that this was the worst thing that could have happened to him. He was hoping that with her being at home and him touring the world it was for the best so that he could finally get over her. Completely. But now that seemed to be impossible.

After another hour of driving, they had finally arrived in Pensacola. Seth had a hard time getting out of the car by himself but he wouldn't let Roman or Dean help him. He felt horrible depending on someone and therefore kept on being stubborn and tried his best to be as independent as he could.

"Let me at least carry your bags, dumbass," Dean said, taking Seth's suitcase out of the trunk and turning around only to be jumped at by Shannon, almost making him tumble.

"Oh my God, you can't imagine how much I missed you," she whispered into his ear and started nibbling on his earlobe.

"I missed you too, sweet cheeks. But you'd better stop doing that or I'll have to ravish you here in the middle of the street," he whispered back, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly.

He'd really missed her and he didn't even want to deny it. There had been times when he never would have admitted feeling lost without someone, but being without Shannon was something he hated. As scary as it was, but he needed her.

In the meantime Roman made his way over to Karolina who was waiting for him at the front door, a huge smile on her face.

"I'm sorry I couldn't jump into your arms but I think that would have freaked out your baby. Plus, you would now be lying on the hard ground," she said and giggled when rolled his eyes at her.

"Shut up and kiss me," he simply said before softly pressing his lips onto hers.

Seth looked back and forth between the two couples, not believing that they were actually making out in front of him without one of them even realizing he was there as well. He cleared his throat, trying to get the attention of his friends who immediately let go of each other.

"Sorry man, I think we got carried away," Roman said directed at Seth before turning back to his fiancée and kneeling down in front of her. "Hey Cookie, daddy's back home. You can't imagine how much I missed you and your mommy."

It was as if their baby immediately understood what was going on as it almost instantly reacted to Roman's words, kicking Karo lightly which brought a smile to his face.

"See, it missed you too," Karo said and looked down at him, her heart melting when she looked into Roman's eyes. She could see so much love in them that she had to fight the tears that were building in her eyes.

After kissing her baby bump softly, he let go of her, knowing that she wanted to see how Seth was doing. She made her way towards him, worry and concern written all over her face. But all the pain he was enduring couldn't take away the joy he was feeling deep inside when he watched Karo approaching him.

"Sethie," she simply said before looking at his bandaged knee with a frown on her face. "Gosh, I'm so sorry."

Seth couldn't help but chuckle, making Karo look at him confused.

"You don't have to be sorry, sweetheart. It's not your fault. Now come here, I'm not made of glass," he said and motioned her with his crutches to come closer.

She did as she was told, a smile gracing her face when she put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Seth closed his eyes for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of having her so close to him and desperately trying to ignore the growing baby bump that was pressed against his body.

"Now come on guys, stop it...Let's eat something. I'm hungry," Dean suddenly said before slapping Karo's ass softly.

She immediately turned around and looked at him wide-eyed, hoping she wouldn't blush in front of him. Shannon looked at her friend and couldn't help but burst out laughing, mouthing the word _'spanking'_ to her pregnant friend and following Dean and Roman into the house.

"Why are you blushing, sweetie?" Seth asked when the others went inside, slowly starting to make his way to the front door, the crutches giving him a hard time to keep up with his friends.

"Oh well...uhm...never mind," she said and gave him a fake smile, the colour of her face now red as a tomato.

"Come on now, babe. Or do you keep secrets from me now?" he teased, winking at her and chuckling when he realized just how nervous she was.

She looked to the left and the right, making sure that neither Roman, Dean nor Shannon were around.

"I trust you, ok?" she asked and waited for his reaction, taking a deep breath when he nodded his head. "Well...uhm...Shannon and I've been talking and I accidentally told her I have this fantasy about Dean spanking me."

Although Seth should probably feel hurt about that confession, he couldn't choke down the need to laugh out loud. If she had these kind of fantasies about Dean, maybe she had some about him as well. And he sure as hell would make these fantasies a reality.

"Stop laughing, for fuck's sake," she said, again looking around and hoping that nobody could hear them. "Don't tell anyone, ok?"

"I promise you, hun," he said while trying to catch his breath. "I guess there's a lot we need to talk about now that we have time, huh?"

He winked at her and bit his bottom lip, still trying to fathom what she had just told him. Although Roman had never been the person to talk about his sexual life with anyone, he had told both Seth and Dean about Karo being constantly horny for him, mentioning that her hormones had taken over her libido. Something Seth kept in the back of his head, hoping that maybe he would be able to take advantage of that fact.

In silence they both made their way into the house, Seth following her into the living room and sitting down on the couch and resting his leg on a chair that Roman had taken out of the kitchen.

"Well ladies, I might not be using this twitter bullshit thingy but my buddies right here do and we're excited to know what the fuck those tweets on Monday meant," Dean said, looking at the two girls in question with a smirk on his face.

"Uhm...well...I would say I was drunk but I'm afraid you wouldn't believe me," Karo replied, once again blushing slightly and smiling at Dean shyly.

"Shocking that you girls wanted to just give me away to some random chick," Seth said, wiping away non-existent tears and sighing out loud theatrically.

"I find it more shocking that these girls wanna brush my hair. Like...what the actual fuck?" Roman asked and looked at Karo with a mad expression on his face after she gently pulled at his ponytail.

"Well, some girls have some weird fantasies, right Karo?" Seth asked her and winked at Shannon when she started to giggle.

Roman and Dean looked back and forth between the others, both of them having a confused look on their face.

"Not sure if I wanna know what that meant, but I'm sure you can handle her," Dean said to Roman, wiggling his eyebrows and motioning with his head towards Karo.

"You bet I can. Oh hey Dean, you sure you don't wanna have some kind of jacket? Afraid Shannon will have an orgasm while staring at your arms, you know?" Roman said with a chuckle while putting an arm around his pregnant fiancée.

"Unf yes, arm porn, baby," Shannon said and grabbed his biceps, moaning in the "Harry and Sally" kind of way.

"Okay, alright, before this is getting out of control, I really need to know why you two wanna share both Roman and Dean and not me. What's wrong, huh? I have feelings too," Seth pouted, sticking out his bottom lip and looking at Karo intently.

He knew that whenever he looked at her with those puppy eyes she would get weak in the knees and as always he was right. She made her way over to him and cupped his face with her hands before kissing his cheek gently.

"Roman, do you think you can handle both me and Seth tonight?" Karo asked after turning around, giggling when she saw the disgusted look on her fiancé's face.

"No fucking way. Don't even think about it. Gosh, your crazy hormones will be the death of me someday," he replied with a shocked expression on his face.

"You selfish son of a bitch," Dean said and smirked at his Samoan friend.

"Oh, I'm a selfish SOB now, huh? Why don't YOU share Shannon with him?" Roman asked and looked at his friend expectantly, grinning when Dean looked back at him wide-eyed.

"Whoa whoa whoa, who said I wanted a threesome with Seth?" Shannon asked, a frown on her face.

"Well, you certainly would want to experience some Roman loving, wouldn't you?" Karo asked, laughing heartily but her laughter died down just a few moments later when Shannon moved her hand to indicate a spanking movement.

"Uhm yeah...so...shall we order some pizza?" Karo asked in order to change the subject quickly, not wanting to take this discussion any further. She knew she would have to tell Roman about that little inside joke or else somebody else would tell him and that was something she didn't want to happen.

"Sounds good. I'm starving," Dean said before wrapping an arm around Shannon, pulling her close and kissing her cheek softly.

"Hmm, if you only knew how hungry I am," Karo whispered into Roman's ear, making him take a deep breath.

He turned his head to look into her eyes and all he could see was a mixture of love, pure lust and desire. It had been tough for him to be without her for four days, but in her current state he was sure she had been suffering even more.

She let go of him gently, moving behind him and having her hand wander on his ass lightly before making her way into the kitchen in order to get the menu card of the pizza delivery service.

"Damn, she's really horny as fuck," Dean said with a chuckle as soon as Karo had left the room.

"She definitely is. I think I heard that vibrator each and every fucking night since you've been gone, I swear," Shannon replied, theatrically rolling her eyes.

"Vibrator?" Seth asked, moving slightly to sit a little more comfortable, his knee being a real pain in the ass.

"Okay okay, let's just stop talking about my girl and her vibrator, aight?" Roman asked, feeling somehow uncomfortable to where this conversation was going.

While Shannon and Dean burst out laughing, Seth just nodded his head and swallowed hard. The thought of Karo pleasuring herself with a vibrator was too much for him to handle. It was bad enough that he had these sexual dreams about her, now his friends were feeding him even more information he could use to fantasize about and he had a hard time not letting his arousal show.

"Here I am! I want a family-size pizza all for myself," Karo said and handed the menu to Dean who had Shannon in his lap now.

"Don't you dare say you're fat and gross after eating that whole thing," Shannon threatened, wagging her finger at her friend disapprovingly.

"I won't. I promise. Uhm...baby...I need to show you something," she said directed to Roman, pulling at his shirt and motioning with her head towards the small fitness room he had set up a week ago. "Could you guys order in the meantime?"

When her friends nodded their heads, she took Roman's hand into hers and dragged him to the room that was just a few feet away from the living room.

As soon as she had closed the door behind her, she hastily pressed her lips against his before pushing him against the wall, softly moaning into his mouth.

"Babe, what are you doing?" he asked after breaking up the heated kiss, his breath unsteady and shallow already.

"What does it look like?" she countered, kissing his neck and slipping her hands under his shirt, teasingly tracing his abs with her fingernails.

"We can't do this now, babygirl. The others are in the room next door and could possibly hear us," he tried to reason but he knew that if she continued like this, he would not have the strength to stop her anymore.

"I'll be quiet and we'll make it quick," she replied, not even bothering with his shirt anymore but instantly unbuckling his belt.

He helped her by unbuttoning his jeans himself, surprised that in just a matter of a minute his cock was rock-hard. That woman did things to him nobody had ever done before.

"Are you even ready yet?" he asked in between kisses, one of his hands kneading her breast through her shirt while she took the other one to guide it into her sweatpants and panties, letting him feel how ready she was.

"What do you think?" she asked while looking deep into his eyes, a smirk on his face when he felt just how wet she was for him.

He removed his hand from her panties, looking around and checking where he could easily and quickly ravish her which was a difficult thing considering there were only weight-training machines and treadmills in the small room.

"Turn around and support yourself with your hands against the wall," he said in a demanding tone, unzipping his jeans and pushing them down together with his boxers.

He didn't even bother stepping out of them. There was no time for any kind of foreplay and as they were both ready anyways, it wasn't even necessary to have one.

He moved closer to her as soon as she did what she was told, her pants and panties around her knees in just a matter of seconds.

"Bend down a little," he said, his voice as deep and husky as it always was whenever he was about to enter her.

Karo took a deep breath, licking her suddenly dry lips and moving her head so that she could look at him, the longing look in his eyes making her even wetter.

Without any further warning, he plunged himself into her from behind, closing his eyes and standing still when he was fully buried deep inside of her, quickly covering her mouth with one of his hands so that she wouldn't be able to moan out loud.

After a few moments he started moving, his hips circling smoothly and his thrusts deep and intense. Covering her mouth was the best thing he could do because in that angle he was able to hit that special spot over and over again, making her roll her eyes into the back of her head.

He placed his other hand on her hip, pushing her body back against the movements of his crotch, meeting his thrusts which were even more powerful now. They didn't have the time to prolong this. This was just about getting a release they both so desperately needed.

He had a hard time remaining silent himself. This situation normally demanded for him to talk dirty to her, to slap her ass and to encourage her to cum for him. He bit his bottom lip when he increased the pace again, the sounds of skin slamming against skin turning them both on even more.

Until...

"Hey guys, pizza will be...oh holy fuck," Seth said after pushing the door open with one of his crutches, letting them both fall to the ground in shock when he saw what both Roman and Karolina were doing just a few inches away from him.

"Shit Seth, fucking leave," Roman yelled, looking at his friend wide-eyed before realizing that he wasn't able to pick up his crutches by himself.

Roman was about to slide out of his fiancée so that he could get dressed again to help him, but he didn't even have the chance to do so.

"What's wrong, dude? I just heard...oh my fucking God," Dean said and looked back and forth between the couple and Seth who seemingly stared at his friends.

"Dean, what is it? Are you guys...fucking hell," Shannon said, covering her mouth in shock before bursting out laughing at the same time with Dean joining her almost immediately.

"For fuck's sake, would y'all fucking leave us alone now?" Roman yelled, trying to cover up his pregnant girl as he could only imagine how embarrassing all of this must be for her.

"Come on, man. Let's get outta here," Dean said with a chuckle before picking up Seth's crutches, closing the door behind him so that the couple had time to collect themselves again.

"I guess you're not in the mood to finish this now, are you?" Roman asked cautiously, not sure how Karo felt after being caught by their closest friends.

She didn't even answer, but let him now by straightening up and releasing him before pulling up her pants, turning around to face him shortly afterwards and sighing heavily.

"That was so fucking embarrassing," she whispered while watching Roman get dressed again, a small smile gracing his face now.

"Babe, they're our best friends. It could have been worse," he said, trying to cheer her up a little.

"Yeah, it could have been the whole locker room watching us," she answered, images of that certain day flooding her mind.

"Hush now! We agreed not to talk about Drew and the incident anymore, right?" he scolded her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head.

He knew that this would always be in the back of her mind, but both situations couldn't be compared to one another. He knew that their friends would keep this to themselves. Things like that happened and apart from getting teased about it once in a while, they would let it drop one day.

"I can't even go back in there. I feel so horrible," she said, burying her face into his chest and letting him comfort her.

But if she only knew how horrible her best friend felt in that very moment. Seth was the one who probably needed all the comfort he could get. But he wouldn't get any. Dean and Shannon were still laughing their asses off while he tried to fathom what he had just seen. Of course he knew that Karo and Roman had sex. The baby didn't come out of nowhere. But actually seeing them both doing it had broken his heart even more than it had been broken before. It showed him once again that Karolina would never be his. That she loved Roman. That he was the only one to have her in that way. Something he would never have.

"Hey dude, what's wrong? Never seen a live porn show?" Dean teased, nudging his friend's shoulder and chuckling.

"Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost or something," Shannon added, giggling when Seth didn't even move.

"My knee just hurts. I guess I need some pain killers," he said quietly before trying to get off of the couch again.

"Sit down. I'll get them for you," Shannon offered, not wanting Seth to exhaust himself too much as she knew he needed some rest.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the living room as soon as Shannon had left it and Seth could feel his friend staring holes into him. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that Dean would not notice how much he was hurt after what had just happened. Normally he wouldn't. Dean had never really realized if something was bothering him. He probably didn't even want to as he hated talking about feelings. But deep down Seth was afraid that this time Dean was sensing that something was wrong.

"Here they are," Shannon said, interrupting his thoughts and saving him from a conversation Dean was about to start with him.

A conversation both of them wouldn't have wanted to have, but somehow Dean had the feeling that there was something Seth needed to get off of his chest. But maybe he was really just in pain. Maybe he was tired and needed a nap. Not to forget that he was hungry and they all knew in what mood Seth could be in whenever he needed something to eat.

"Thanks, sunshine," Seth said, giving her a fake smile and taking the pain killers from her.

He more than ever wanted to run away. He needed to get away from them. Especially from Roman and Karolina. But his fucking knee wouldn't let him. He was stuck with them, his heart heavy in his chest.

Suddenly somebody cleared their throat, getting everyone's attention instantly.

"Sorry about that, guys," Roman said with a smile on his face while Karo was hiding behind him, still clearly embarrassed about what had just happened.

"Come out there, princess," Dean said, chuckling when she peeked at them over Roman's shoulder.

She slowly moved so that she was standing next to him, looking at her friends, unsure.

"Sorry. All of this was my fault. I was too damn horny to wait until later," she said and giggled, finally relaxing after seeing her friends smile at her.

Even Seth did. He gave them a fake smile. He had to. He couldn't let them know what was going on. Roman wouldn't leave him alone with Karo if they did.

He once again made a mental note to himself, knowing that she didn't have control over her hormones which could be an advantage for him as soon as Roman was gone and only he would be there with her.

"Okay, let's just forget about this for now, you naughty little thing," Dean finally said, easing the tension that was in the air and making everyone laugh.

Roman made his way over to the door after the doorbell rang, getting their pizza so that they could finally eat and enjoy the time they all had left together before Dean, Roman and Shannon had to leave again in two days.

While Dean and Shannon were busy making out, Karo made her way over to Seth, sitting down next to him and placing a hand on his injured knee.

"I hope you didn't hurt yourself, Sethie," she said, letting out a deep breath and feeling sincerely sorry for shocking him so much that his crutches fell to the ground.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'll be fine. After all I have the best nurse there is, right?" he said, making her giggle when she realized that it was her he meant.

He tried his best to be as casually and funny as he could. He knew how much this bothered Karo, especially after what happened to her with Drew in the past. He didn't want to make her feel even worse. He also knew that he would have to listen to a lot of stuff he probably didn't want to hear about as soon as the others would be gone. They both didn't have any secrets from each other, always being honest and talking about everything. Simply everything.

Everything but his love to her. He had to keep this his little secret. And he hoped he could.


	12. SLAP Did that hurt?

**I was quick with this one but I just had to get this idea out of my head lol**

**Thanks sooo much to ShannonTheAwesomeOne for giving me the best ideas ever. There are a few of your lines in here. You know I love them ;-)**

**Pezziecoyote, you know you rock, right? :)**

**I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of your reviews. Keep 'em coming ;-)**

**Now enjoy & review :)**

Chapter 12: SLAP. Did that hurt?

"What are you doing?" Shannon asked as soon as Dean slid out of her, looking at him confused when he moved away from her.

They were both staying in a guest room, just a few doors away from Karo's and Roman's bedroom. As they had both been hungry for each other, they had decided to turn in early, not wanting everyone to hear what they were up to.

"Turning around?" he more questioned than said, not really understanding where she was going with this. His job was done here.

"Why?" she asked slightly irritated, annoyed by his behaviour and sick of teaching him how to be a good boyfriend.

"Because I wanna sleep," he explained, turning his back towards her and switching off the bedside lamp.

"Dean, we just had sex," Shannon complained, the silent reproach in her voice unmistakable.

"So?" he asked, sighing heavily and turning around to look at her over his shoulder.

She just stared at him, not saying a word as he exactly knew what she expected of him now. And he knew he would have to give in. There was no way she would leave him alone until he did.

"Fine, come here, woman," he mumbled, laying down on his back and motioning for her to move closer to him so that she could place her head on his chest.

"Why are you making things so complicated sometimes?" she asked him while tracing the vein on his biceps with her fingers.

"Why are you?" he countered, closing his eyes and enjoying her touch.

He hated to admit it but it felt good to have someone that showed you some love. It was these simple touches and the caresses she gave him that made him feel so comfortable. It was something that actually scared him. He still had a hard time accepting that he was in a real relationship now. This was no fuck buddy thing anymore. This was the real deal. And although Shannon knew that he wasn't the typical kind of boyfriend, she sometimes expected things he couldn't really give her. Such as something like _'I love you'_.

"Is it too much to ask for if I just wanna cuddle a little after sleeping with you?" she asked, looking up at him and smiling when she saw that he had his eyes closed.

"At least you didn't say something about making love. That would have freaked me out," he replied, making her sigh heavily.

"Always ruining the moment..." she mumbled, moving her hand to his chest and gently pulling at some single strands of hair.

Dean decided to remain silent. There wasn't anything he had to say anyways. He would just let it drop. Not in the mood to fight with her, especially not now after having gotten some. He started running his hand through her hair, his eyes open now and staring at the ceiling, completely lost in thought. He still had difficulty accepting that things were going to change. With Karo being pregnant, his whole life took another direction as well. He knew that one day Shannon would want a ring on her finger as well, literally. She was so excited for Karo's baby and couldn't wait for Roman and her to get married that Dean was afraid that this was something she would want as well. And he couldn't give it to her. Hell, he couldn't even confess his love to her properly.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked when the silence between them became uncomfortable. She knew he was thinking about something as he was tensed up.

"You don't really expect me to say something now, do you?" he said with a chuckle.

He would sure as hell not talk to her about all this crap that was going through his mind. Although he was a changed man, he still couldn't shake off some of his bad habits. He was still keeping things to himself. Thereby nobody would be able to judge him for anything.

Shannon just sighed and knew she had to drop it now. He wouldn't open up to her and that was frustrating. She loved him with all her heart. But sometimes he was giving her a hard time. She wouldn't want to change him though. That was the man she fell in love with and if that was all he could give her, then she had to accept it.

"Wanna know a secret?" she asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Would it still be a secret if you told me?" he asked, absently curling her hair around his fingers.

"I don't care. I wanna tell you anyways," she giggled and moved a little so that she was eye-level with him. "But you need to keep it to yourself, ok?"

He looked at her intently and nodded his head. He wasn't one for gossip, so he was sure that whatever she was about to tell him it wasn't going to interest him.

"I talked to Karo about some...well...intimate things. You know, woman talk about that stuff. Uhm...and while we were at it, she blurted out telling me that she had this fantasy about you spanking her," she said, laughing out loud when she saw the shocked expression on her boyfriend's face.

"No fucking way," he said, joining her in her laughter and shaking his head dumbfounded.

He would have expected anything but that. He had to admit that he had wanted to bang her back in the day after seeing that sex tape of her with Drew, but as soon as he knew that Roman wanted to make a move on her, he immediately dismissed this thought. He knew that his rough and inapproachable behaviour was something the ladies liked but knowing that Karo acted all shy and naïve around him, he wouldn't have thought that this was something she wanted.

"Yep. You should have seen her face after she told me. I think she wanted to die so badly in that very moment," she answered, still giggling when she saw that cocky smirk on Dean's face.

"Princess is a little too late to be asking me to spank her, ain't she? My hands are only for you, babe," he said and kissed her forehead, grinning at her when she bit her bottom lip.

"They are. But for today I'm done. My ass is sore, give it some fucking space," she said with a chuckle, pecking his lips quickly before letting go of him. "You're allowed to sleep now."

"Oh, how generous of you," he said, raising an eyebrow when she simply turned around to lay on her stomach, her face now facing the wall.

"Shut up now, I'm trying to sleep," she countered, giggling when he once again slapped her ass.

He shook his head in amusement and stared at the ceiling again, not one bit tired anymore. But he wasn't in the mood to join the others downstairs again. They would probably watch a fucking chick flick and he really didn't want to disturb his three mushy friends while they were cuddling and caressing each other like puppy dogs.

When he heard that Shannon was snoring quietly after a few minutes, he knew that she must have fallen asleep. And all of a sudden an idea popped into his mind. He cautiously moved to get his cell phone from the bedside table, not wanting to wake his girlfriend because he knew she would kill him for his plans.

He unlocked his phone and searched for Roman's number, clicking on it and starting to write a text message:

_Hey man. Wanna hear some juicy news? Just take your horny girl to the bedroom and spank the livin' shit outta her. Shan just told me she has this fantasy of me slapping her ass. Unfortunately I'm too busy with my own woman to do the job, but I'm sure you can get it done. Peace out, Dean._

_..._

Roman stretched his arm to get his cell phone which was lying on the living room table, surprised that at this time of the day somebody was texting him. He had a confused look on his face when he saw that the text was from Dean. He opened the message and looked at the phone display wide-eyed. He read it over and over again. He wasn't sure if his buddy was just talking nonsense but seeing how Karolina was acting currently, this actually could be the truth. He had to choke down his laughter, not wanting Karo or Seth to notice as he had no intention to show them what Dean had texted him. He probably should be mad at his fiancée about having this fantasy about their friend, but he wasn't. Quite the contrary. He was amused.

He looked over to Karo whose head was placed in Seth's lap, him running his hand through her hair while intently staring at the TV screen. He was happy that they both had become such close friends. He knew that it was one of the best feelings to have someone you could share everything with. Of course there were a few things she probably didn't want to talk about with him and that was when Seth would step in. Maybe he was acting like a woman sometimes, but that was exactly what Karo needed.

"Are you okay, baby?" she asked when she noticed that he was staring at them.

"Sure, just tired. I guess I'll go to bed now. Join me?" he asked, tickling her feet and smiling when she started to lightly kick him in protest.

"Yeah, let me get my fat ass up. That might take ages though," she complained, groaning when she finally sat up, one hand resting on her baby bump.

"Yeah, you're so fat, Karo. It's really disgusting," Seth said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

He would never understand why she was constantly complaining about gaining weight. She was having a baby, for god's sake. He wouldn't want to admit it, but the side effects of her pregnancy were really appealing to him. Especially her boobs which were even bigger now than they had been before. _Ohh, the things I would do with them_, he thought to himself.

"Shut up, Rollins," she said before sticking out her tongue at him, knowing that he hated to be called like that. Especially from her.

Before following Roman who was waiting for her at the stairs, she bent down to Seth and kissed his cheek softly, cupping it and smiling at him.

"If you need anything, just shout, ok? And if the couch isn't comfortable, we somehow will get you upstairs so that you can sleep in the bed and...," she started but was immediately interrupted by him.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about me. That couch looks pretty comfy and I'm sure I'll sleep like a baby as soon as the pain killers kick in. Now go and get some sleep. I hate it when you're grumpy," he said with a chuckle, placing a kiss on her cheek, very close to her lips, almost touching them.

Thankfully Roman wasn't able to see that as Karo was standing in front of him, her back facing her fiancé. He had to be careful not to get too close to her while he was around.

"Good night, man. Sleep well," Roman said after taking Karo's hand in his and going upstairs, a smirk on his face when he thought about the things he would do to her.

He let her enter the bedroom first, following her instantly and locking the door after closing it.

"Just in case," he said when she looked at him suspiciously, a mischievous smile on his face.

He really wasn't in the mood to get caught again. They hadn't been able to take some time for themselves since getting caught by their friends the day before. And he desperately needed a release or his blue balls were going to kill him.

"Take off your clothes," he demanded while looking at her intently, the expression on his face unreadable.

Karo swallowed hard when she heard the tone in his voice, knowing instantly that he was another man now. There were two sides on him when it came to the bedroom: One was kind, gentle and loving while the other one was demanding, rough and fierce. She loved both of them and right now she couldn't wait to finally get the rough treatment again.

She did as she was told, taking off piece by piece while staring deep into his eyes, eyes that were reflecting pure lust and desire.

"Move to the bed and get on your hands and knees," he requested, pointing to their bed and raising an eyebrow at her when she didn't move immediately. "I'm not going to tell you twice."

She nodded her head and bit her bottom lip nervously. Although she knew how he could be, it was still exciting and nerve-wrecking to see what was going to expect her.

She took a deep breath and waited for him to enter her from behind, the wetness in between her legs signalling her that she was more than ready for him. But nothing happened. All she could hear were his footsteps that were getting closer to the bed, but he wouldn't kneel down behind her. Seconds felt like endless minutes and she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to take this anticipation.

"Roman, I'm ready...please just...," she started, but wasn't able to finish her sentence when she felt his hand on her ass.

_SLAP_

Karo swallowed hard, her eyes wide open now. He had slapped her ass several times before but this time it was something else. It felt different. Completely different.

He raised his hand once again, a vicious smile on his face when he saw that she was starting to shiver. He forcefully slapped her ass again, the yelp that escaped her lips making his cock even harder than it had been before. He had no idea that something like that could be so arousing and he just hoped that Karolina felt the same way. After all it was her fantasy, right?

The sounds of him smacking her ass mixed with her moans filled the room, letting him know that she was indeed enjoying this. He really thought he had known her well enough before but there were so many different things he was still learning about his fiancée and he knew that they had an exciting journey in front of them.

"You like that, don't you?" he asked before slapping her again, her moan the only answer he would get.

_SLAP SLAP SLAP_

"Answer me, you dirty little girl," he demanded after his hand landed on her behind again.

"I do...oh yes...I like that," she panted, the wetness in between her legs increasing so much that she was dripping by now.

He gave her one more smack before he decided that she had had enough. Her ass must be sore by now, all red and covered with the imprint of his hand. He didn't want to take this too far. Although she seemed to cherish what he was doing to her, he couldn't forget about the baby that was growing inside of her.

He got down on his knees, kneeling behind her on the floor, now gently placing his hands on her behind and spreading her legs slightly. He moved his head closer to her mound, sticking out his tongue and without any warning burying it deep inside of her wetness.

"Oh my God," she moaned, her whole body shaking when she felt him sucking her clit, his nose slightly touching her wet entrance at the same time.

She had no idea how much longer she could take this. It was shocking for her to realize that his spanking had turned her on to an extent she thought could never happen. It was mind-blowing to feel his hand slapping her forcefully, making her feel like a really dirty girl. A dirty girl she loved to be for him.

He let go of her clit with a popping sound, slowly moving his tongue along her slick folds and pushing two fingers inside of her, moving them in and out for a few moments before completely letting go. She sighed in frustration and yelped when he smacked her ass one last time, this time not as forcefully as before, a grin on his face.

"I think we have some unfinished business we need to take care of, don't you think?" he said quietly after standing on his two feet again. "Get off of the bed now."

Again the tone in his voice was demanding and she loved to be dominated by him. He normally was such a gentle and soft-spoken man, but whenever he turned into his dom character, he was anything but gentle.

After getting up, she immediately got pushed against the wall, facing it and supporting herself on her hands. She instantly knew what he meant by 'unfinished business', the anticipation almost unbearable.

"Considering the fact that you seem more than ready for me, I think we just could get going. What do you think, Karolina?" he whispered into her ear, nibbling on her earlobe and pressing his erection against the small of her back after stepping out of his pants.

"Please..." she just said, her breath shallow and unsteady.

"Please what? What do you want? Do you want my cock? Do you want to feel it in your pussy? Is that what you want? Say it, Karolina. Say it," he hissed, grabbing her breasts from behind and kneading them roughly.

He almost couldn't take this much longer himself. They had done similar things before, but it had never been as kinky and naughty as it was now. He enjoyed it. He enjoyed doing this to her, making her beg for him, her wanting him to dominate her.

"Fuck me, Roman. Please...fuck me," she whimpered, surprised by his hand that once again covered her mouth while he plunged himself into her.

He groaned out loud, the tightness of her hole almost sending him over the edge immediately. But he had a job to do. She wanted him to fuck her? That was what he was going to do.

He instantly started with an increased pace, bumping into her forcefully while moving her hips against his thrusts, his free hand holding her hip and guiding her onto his rock-hard cock.

She couldn't help but moan against his hand, the feeling of him deep inside of her overwhelming her. She had never been that aroused before and she was sure that in just a few minutes she would have a mind-blowing orgasm.

He sped up once again, his thrusts even more powerful and intense now. He wasn't able to hold back his own moans, but he actually didn't care. He didn't give a damn if Shannon or Dean could hear him, even Seth could be hearing it and it didn't matter to him. He was enjoying this way too much to keep silent.

Her walls were tightening around his cock, her moans becoming even louder although he still covered her mouth. She was close. Dangerously close. And so was he.

"That's it, baby. Right there. Cum for me...come on," he encouraged her, bumping into her roughly and emptying himself deep inside of her after feeling the familiar pulsating of her walls around his cock.

He stood still for a few moments, releasing her mouth and trying to catch his breath. He had no idea how he could possibly have so much cum in him but after just another few minutes their mixed juices were dripping out of her, coating his half-erect member.

He placed a few kisses along her spine before sliding out of her. He had to support himself against the wall, his legs just as shaky as hers.

"Come with me, babygirl," he said quietly, turning her around and taking her hand into his, leading her to the bed.

He laid down and motioned for her to join him. Even after that kind of sex, there was no way he wouldn't cuddle with her afterwards. It was a silent rule.

She nestled her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and letting out a soft moan which made him chuckle.

"Don't have enough already?" he asked, caressing her arm and enjoying the feeling of having her so close to him.

"Honestly? I'm completely done now," she said and giggled before continuing. "But hey, since when did you like spanking me?"

He couldn't help but laugh at her question, knowing before that she would be surprised about his actions.

"Well, a little birdie told me you'd like to be spanked... I know my hands aren't as dirty or calloused as Dean's, but they got the job done, didn't they?" he asked, moving a little so that he could look into her eyes, a smirk on his face.

She immediately blushed, breaking the eye-contact and swallowing hard. That was more than embarrassing and although he was smirking, she wasn't sure if he would be mad at her for that.

"Oh my God...I can't believe she told you," she mumbled and sat up, covering her mouth in shock.

"Uhm, it was actually Dean telling me," Roman replied, grinning when she looked at him shocked.

"Dean knows? Oh fuck fuck fuck. Shannon knows, Seth knows and now you and Dean know. Can this get any worse?" she asked herself, running a shaky hand through her hair.

"Babe, relax. It's all good. I'm not mad. I actually liked it. And I'm pretty sure you did as well," he said and winked at her.

"It's all good? Roman, I wanted another man to spank me. A man that you call your best friend," she said, looking at him intently.

"Yeah, but it was me spanking you and not another man. So it's fine for me. We all have our fantasies. And that was...or is yours, then so it be. As long as you stay with me, I'm fine with it," he said and moved closer to her again, kissing the top of her head. "Let's get some sleep now. You must be tired."

She just nodded her head, a frown on her face. She was relieved that Roman took this so easily, but she still felt horrible about him knowing about her fantasy. And the icing on the cake was that Dean knew too. She would never be able to look into his eyes anymore.

She laid back down on her side, her back facing him. He immediately pressed his chest against it, resting his hands on her baby bump from behind and burying his nose into her hair.

"Sweet dreams, babygirl. I love you," he whispered, closing his eyes tightly.

"I love you too, you poor man," she said, making him chuckle before both of them drifted off to sleep.

...

"Good morning everyone," Karo said, looking at everyone and giving them a shy smile.

It felt horrible knowing that they all knew about her little secret and she had no idea how to act towards them. Maybe she was making a big deal out of it but she still felt uncomfortable.

"Karolina, princess, I hope you had a good night's sleep," Dean said, a mischievous smile on his face.

"Yeah..uhm...I did," she said and wanted to sit down but Dean stopped her.

"Honey, wait a minute…do you possibly have some ointment for me? My hands hurt so fucking much from spanking Shannon so hard," he complained, grimacing theatrically before bursting out laughing.

"Oh my God, I hate you all so much," Karo said defeated and finally sat down at the table, grabbing the pot of coffee and taking a deep breath.

"Relax, babe. We're just making fun," Shannon said and winked at her pregnant friend, knowing that she was more than embarrassed about this whole thing.

"Yeah, fucking great. Don't ever think I'll tell you a secret again," she mumbled before pouring some milk into her coffee.

"Now come on. That wasn't my fault. I've kicked Dean's ass already for telling Roman. He is such a blabbermouth," she replied, smacking the back of Dean's head lightly.

"Okay, guys. Can we now have breakfast in peace? You have to leave in 30 minutes, don't cha?" Seth interrupted them, not being in the mood to think about Karolina's sex preferences. He had heard enough in the last two days.

All of them looked at Seth surprised while he only shrugged his shoulders before shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. He loved his friends to death but sometimes they were just talking too much nonsense. He just wanted them to shut up for once.

...

"I'm gonna miss you so much, babygirl," Roman whispered into her ear, hugging her tightly after kissing her baby bump to say goodbye to his cookie.

"We will miss you too. But you know what? Next week when you're back, we will find out if we're going to have a boy or a girl," she said, looking at him excitedly.

"I can't wait and...," he started saying but was interrupted by Dean calling him.

"Reigns, get your ass over here now. We gotta get going," he yelled annoyed, hoping that the two lovebirds would finally be done by now.

"Love ya, babygirl...see you in a few days," he said before kissing her lips sweetly.

"Love ya too. Be safe, ok?" she said, kissing him back and waving at Dean and Shannon who she had kissed goodbye earlier.

"Bye Seth, take care of my two babies, aight?" Roman asked and hugged his friend quickly before patting his shoulder.

It broke his heart to leave Karolina again but he knew that Seth would be there for her. He was sure that it was good for both of them to have somebody around. Just in case something might happen. He would miss her to death, but knowing that she wasn't alone was his only comfort.


	13. Alone-time

**It is Monday and today that does not only mean it's time for RAW, no, it's also time for a new chapter.**

**Thanks to all the lovely reviews. You should see the smile on my face whenever I read them.**

**Pezziecoyote, ShannonTheAwesomeOne and mrsrkoshield: you girls are the best. Thanks for all your help.**

**Now enjoy and review :)**

Chapter 13: Alone-time

Roman had only been gone for a few hours but to Seth's amazement, Karolina took it surprisingly well. She would lie if she said that she was completely fine with him leaving her, but with Seth being around she felt a little better than she would have if she would have stayed alone.

"Karolina?" Seth yelled from downstairs, immediately getting her attention when she heard the tone in his voice.

"What is it?" she yelled back, letting her laundry fall and running to the stairs as fast as she could. "Have you hurt yourself?"

She quickly made her way downstairs, relaxing when she saw him standing in the living room on his crutches, a mischievous smile on his face.

"God, you scared the shit outta me," Karo mumbled, wagging her finger at him. "I thought something happened, idiot."

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as much as he could, the puppy eyes he was giving her making her weak in the knees.

"I'm sorry, babe. I still need your help though," he said, taking a deep breath before he continued. "Uhm...I don't really know how to say it but...well...as I can't have a shower with that damn knee, I would need to have a bath."

Karo looked at him confused, not sure what he was trying to tell her with that information. He licked his suddenly dry lips and swallowed hard before finally having the courage to tell her what was on his mind.

"Well, Roman has helped me until now, but...uhm...he's gone now. So I thought that maybe..." he started but was immediately interrupted by her.

"That maybe I could help you? Uh...yeah...I guess I could," she replied, smiling at him weakly before turning around to make her way to the small guest bathroom which was close to the kitchen. "I'll start the water, ok?"

Seth just nodded his head and followed her slowly, his crutches still making his life hell sometimes. But not only were his crutches giving him a hard time, it was the thought of Karolina seeing him naked in just a few minutes that made his legs shaky. He was able to undress himself but climbing into the bathtub was a challenge he couldn't accept by himself.

"Okay, I bet you like it hot, right Mr Rollins?" she said while bending down and setting the temperature of the water, giggling to herself when she realized how suggestive that sounded.

But she didn't think about it too much. Seth should know her well enough by now to realize that she was just making fun. Without even waiting for his reaction, she opened one of the cupboards to get some bath essence, pouring some of it into the tub which was slowly being filled with hot water.

"So, shall I...," she started while turning around but became speechless the minute she saw that he had already undressed himself.

She couldn't help but look him over from head to toe. She actually didn't want to, but her eyes wandered all over his body, taking in every inch of it. He was such a handsome and good-looking man. He might not have shoulders as broad as Roman's, but his abs were definitely more visible. As soon as she reached his crotch with her eyes, she shut them tightly, not believing that she was indeed checking him out.

"I'm sorry, Seth," she just mumbled before sighing heavily, the heat rising to her cheeks and making her blush.

"No worries, baby. It's okay," he replied, a huge smirk on his face.

_Touchdown_, he thought to himself after realizing that his plan was working out. He wasn't sure if she would react to him at all, but seeing that he made her nervous with his nakedness was a success for him.

"Uhm...so...what...what do I need to do?" she stuttered, her heart beating so fast that she was sure that he could feel it as well.

She hated that she was that nervous around him. She really shouldn't. Seth was her best friend and she should not think about him in a sexual way at all. He wasn't Roman. Roman was the only one who should be able to have such an effect on her. He was supposed to be the only who was responsible for her soaked panties, not Seth.

"Just hold my arm while I hop into the tub with my good leg, ok? I need to sit down and have my hurt knee lean over the edge," he replied before putting down his crutches and taking her hand into his, feeling how sweaty hers was and once again seeing it as a victory.

Seth made sure that he touched her just with the right parts of his body but at the same time he had to be careful not to be too excited about this situation. Showing her a boner would be counterproductive. At least at the moment. He still had a lot of work to do to get her to this point. To the point when she would be willing to take care of his erection. And he knew that day would come. He was sure that if he kept on doing things like that, she wouldn't be able to reject him anymore. He had to be patient. It killed him but if he wanted all of this to happen, then he had to give her all the time she needed.

"Be careful," she warned when he hopped into the hot water, gripping his hand tightly and watching him while he slowly sat down, her eyes never leaving his.

She slightly shook her head, hoping that thereby all these inappropriate thoughts would just go away but they simply wouldn't. She so badly wanted to get out of her clothes and join him, but she knew that this was wrong on so many levels. Although they were extremely close, she knew that sharing a bath with him would cross a line. A line she wasn't ready to cross. She loved Roman. He would always be the only one she would share such an intimate moment with.

"Thanks, babe," he said after letting go of her hand, a small smile on his face. "Would you give me the shampoo please?"

Karo just nodded her head, relieved that at least his crotch was covered by the water and the foam now, making it easier for her to think straight again. She had to bend over him to get the bottle of shampoo, feeling his breath on her skin which sent chills up and down her spine. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to gather her thoughts and getting her act together before she lost her mind.

"There you go. Uhm...I'll do the laundry upstairs. If you need me again, just shout, ok?" she asked, not being able to look into his eyes and immediately making her way out of the bathroom.

After closing the door behind her, she leaned against it with her back and slid down slowly. Once again she closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. Although she hadn't done anything, she felt bad. Bad for just looking at Seth and having thoughts about him she shouldn't have. Dirty thoughts.

The ringing of her phone brought her back to reality. She picked herself up with all her power and made her way into the living room where she immediately found her cell phone which was lying on the table in front of the couch.

Without checking the caller ID she picked up, a huge smile spreading across her face when she heard his voice.

"Hey babygirl," Roman said quietly, the sounds of Dean yelling in the background almost drowning his own voice.

"Hey honey. It's good to hear your voice," Karo replied, almost instantly feeling better after listening to her fiancé's calm and deep baritone. "Where are you?"

"Still 30 minutes to go. I'm just so sick of Shannon and Dean yelling at the other cars and thought I might as well call you," he said with a chuckle, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

He missed her already. He had only been gone for about 6 hours but it felt like an eternity. He wasn't complete without her by his side. There was always something missing when she wasn't around.

"They can be horrible, I know," she giggled, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"Are you okay, sweetie? You sound exhausted," he said, sensing that she seemed to be tensed up, and immediately worrying about her and the baby.

"I'm okay. I'm taking care of the laundry and just put Seth in the bathtub and now..." she explained but was stopped by his laughter.

"You put Seth in the bathtub? That sounds absolutely hilarious," Roman replied, the amused tone in his voice unmistakable. "Does he behave?"

"Yeah, he does. I just had no idea he needed my help for this sort of thing," she admitted, once again blushing but thankfully Roman couldn't see that.

"Sorry. I should have told you. Did everything work out?" he asked, seemingly not concerned about the fact that Seth was naked in front of his pregnant fiancée. Or the things that might or might not happen.

"Yep, he's all good now. Not sure how to get him out of the tub though but we'll find a way. But enough of Seth," she said, not wanting to take this subject any further. "I can't wait for you to come home again."

"I haven't even been gone for a day, babygirl," he said and chuckled, missing her just as much as she was missing him but he tried to be strong. Not only for himself but for her as well.

"I know, but still. Only 3 more days till you come back and then..." she started but was stopped by Seth screaming her name.

"Seems like Seth is done with his little bath, huh?" he asked, grinning when he once again heard that Seth was yelling in the background. "Go and take care of your Sethie."

"I will. I love you, gorgeous," she said after sighing heavily.

"Love you too, babygirl. I talk to you later," he replied and made a kissing noise before hanging up the phone.

After putting the cell phone back on the living room table, she made her way back to the bathroom, opening the door slowly and looking at Seth who was smiling at her happily.

"Sorry for being such a annoying piece of shit but I can't get out of here without you," he said apologetically and extended his hand to her, motioning for her to come closer.

"It's okay. I'm here to help you," she replied and smiled at him shyly, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

He grabbed her hand and held it tightly before gathering all of his power to pull himself up without stressing his hurt knee too much, but as much as he tried, he almost lost his balance and had to hold onto Karolina so that he wouldn't fall.

"Fuck...uh...dammit. Sorry, sweetie. Are you okay?" he asked when he finally stood safely again.

He looked at her intently and couldn't help but smile to himself when he noticed that her now slightly wet shirt clung to her body tightly, revealing her now hard nipples.

"Yeah...uhm...I'm fine. Nothing happened. Let me get a towel for you real quick," she said and smiled at him briefly before quickly turning around to grab one of the towels out of the shelf.

Without really looking at him, she gave the towel to him before collecting his clothes and putting them on the toilet lid so that he could get dressed properly when he was done drying off.

"Anything else you need?" she asked, nervously looking into the mirror and mumbling to herself just how awful she looked.

"Yeah, there is something you could do," he said and looked at her through the mirror sternly. "Stop saying that you look horrible. You don't. You look beautiful."

Karo didn't know if it was Seth's word that touched her so much, but she couldn't help but suddenly start crying. She broke down, her heart aching in her chest.

Seth looked at her confused, not sure why she was sobbing uncontrollably now, her whole body shaking. He put on his boxers as fast as he could, taking his crutches and quickly making his way over to the basin where his best friend was leaning against, her head hung low.

"Babe, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, leaning his crutches against the wall and turning her around so that he could wrap his arms around her, pulling her close to his body while standing on one leg.

"I'm sorry, Seth. I don't know. It's just too much for me at the moment," she sobbed, her face pressed against his muscular chest, the warmth of his body giving her goose bumps all over her body. She always felt safe when she was in his arms but this time it felt different. It felt...right. Like she belonged there.

"What is too much? Come on, let's go to the living room and talk, ok?" he asked before softly letting her go and getting his crutches again.

He let her lead the way and his heart broke in his chest when he realized just how sad she seemed to be. Maybe he shouldn't continue with his plan for now. She needed another Seth now. The Seth she called her best friend.

"Now tell me. Get it off of your chest, sweetheart," Seth encouraged after sitting down next to her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

"I don't know. All of this probably sounds stupid to a normal human being, but considering that I'm everything but normal, this is pretty ridiculous," she said, immediately apologizing for something she didn't even need to be sorry for.

Seth decided to remain silent and waited for her to continue. He didn't want to push her, knowing that she would speak up as soon as she felt ready for it. He kissed the top of her head softly while caressing her arm gently. That was all he needed right now. Having her in his arms, feeling her heart beat fast and inhaling her scent. He had teased her enough for one day. Now he had to be her _Sethie_, as she liked to call him. And that was what he was going to be for her. A friend. Her best friend.

"There are so many things that are bothering me...I obviously miss Roman. I wish he could be with me 24/7 but I know that he can't. And that hurts me. And then...then I miss home," she said, another wave of tears running down her cheeks.

"Home? You are home, Karolina," Seth replied, a frown on his face.

He was afraid of what she was about to say but he was sure that it was something he wouldn't want her to feel. He wanted her to feel home in Pensacola. In Florida. The United States. He wanted her to feel at home wherever Roman was. And most importantly: wherever he was.

"I miss Germany, Sethie," she said before moving a little so that she could look into his eyes which were reflecting worry and concern.

"What...uh...what does that mean? Do you wanna leave?" he asked, fear controlling his thoughts.

"How could I possibly leave? I'm a fat, pregnant woman. I can't go anywhere," she scoffed, breaking the eye-contact and stiffening up a little.

Seth hated when she talked about herself like that. She was nowhere near fat. Yes, she had gained a few pounds but in the end it was all worth it. She was carrying a baby and she needed to be strong for it.

"Stop it now, Karolina. I mean it. You're not fat and the next time you say it I might as well have to spank you," he said but immediately trailed off when he noticed what he had just said. "Uhm, never mind. So...uh...seems like Roman isn't able to show you just how beautiful you are, huh?"

He lifted her chin with his index finger, thereby forcing her to look into his eyes. Whenever he looked into her big blue orbs, he could get lost in them. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on and after realizing once again that it was Roman she spent her life with, he forgot about his intention of taking it slow with her today and decided to go for it.

"What do you mean?" she said, running a shaky hand through her hair and licking her bottom lip.

He watched her intently, tracing the wet trail she had left on her lip with his finger softly.

"I mean that someone needs to..." he started, his voice low and deep, but he had no chance to finish his sentence as once again her cell phone rang.

She immediately unwrapped herself from his grip, bending over and answering her phone as fast as she could.

"Hey Shannon. How's it?" Karo asked, signalling for Seth that she would be back as soon as she could, quickly going to another room.

She needed that privacy now. And she had never been happier to have her friend call her like she had in this very moment. Shannon was her saving grace.

"Karo, are you okay? You sound...breathless," her friend said, a frown on her face.

"Yeah...yeah, I am. I just...oh...never mind. Are you guys doing fine?" Karo asked, immediately changing the subject as she didn't want to think about the tension that had been in the air between her and Seth just now.

"Yeah, I just sent the boys to the store to get me something to eat. I'm hungry," Shannon said with a chuckle. "But dammit, woman. Roman is such a pussy. He keeps talking about you and cookie almost constantly. I'm sick of it. If he ever mentions your boobs again, I gonna have to either kill you or him."

Karo couldn't help but burst out laughing. She could totally imagine the scenario in the car they were sharing.

"Why do you worry so much? Just don't listen to him," she said and was surprised to hear her best friend snicker.

"Yeah right. I wish it was that easy. But no, my boyfriend seems pretty interested in hearing about your boobies too and it's pretty annoying," she snapped and sighed theatrically, making her pregnant friend giggle.

"Oh hey...they're coming back. Play along, aight?" Shannon whispered and waited for Roman and Dean to get into the car before she continued. "Yeah, Dean's dick is...how can I say... whenever he has a boner it looks pretty crooked. But well, he gets the job done and..."

"Who the fuck are you talking to?" Dean yelled, seemingly taking away Shannon's phone before speaking into it.

"Who's this?" he hissed, not amused about the intimate details his girlfriend just shared with someone else.

"Natasha," Karo said, raising her voice a little so that he wouldn't recognize her.

"Natasha who?" he asked, not liking one bit that it was a stranger who knew about the physical appearance of his cock now.

"Natasha Smith. I would really love to meet you someday, Dean. Shannon has talked about you a lot recently," Karo replied, trying hard to contain the laughter but she failed miserably.

"KARO?" Dean yelled when both Shannon and Roman burst out laughing. "Fucking bitches."

And with that he threw the phone back to Shannon who luckily caught it before it flew out of the window.

"Thanks for the help, babe. I think he'll stop thinking about your boobs now. I'll call you later. Bye," her friend said and abruptly ended the call, not giving her a chance to respond.

"What's so funny?" Seth asked, coming out of nowhere and startling her.

"Oh...Dean is. Shannon just made fun of him and I helped her a little," she replied, looking at him unsure and running a hand through her already messy hair.

She had no idea how to react towards him. The things that had happened during the last 30 minutes were not only surprising her but him as well. He had hoped she would react to him the way she actually did but it still felt unreal to him. Karolina on the other hand was confused. There she was, spending time with her best friend and all she could think about was how his lips would feel on her skin, how his perfectly toned body would cover hers and make her feel good. She had never thought about Seth like that. And that was scary. This wasn't the kind of fantasy thing she had with Dean. She felt like she really wanted it to happen with Seth, but she would never forgive herself for doing it. So she decided to just forget about it. She would just pretend as if there hadn't been any kind of tension. It was Karolina and Seth, the bestest of friends and nothing else.

"So, what do you want for dinner?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

"Uhm...I don't care. I'll let you decide," he answered, immediately sensing the change of behaviour.

"Alright. I guess we'll go for pasta then. Why don't you just lie down on the couch and relax a little? I've got everything under control," she stated, patting his shoulder gently before brushing past him and making her way into the kitchen.

She had everything under control? Seth doubted that. And maybe he was right.

...

The next few days had been uneventful. Both Seth and Karolina kept their distances as much as they could, but still trying to be affectionate as much as they had been before that incident just three days ago. Seth had become a little annoyed by her behaviour, sensing that all the work he had put into his plan was for nothing.

The worst thing of it all? Roman was coming back home today. It was another step back in the process of getting closer to her and it made him angry.

"Are Dean and Shannon coming along today?" Seth asked, hoping that Karo would give him the answer he wanted to hear.

"Nope, it's just Roman. Dean and Shannon are spending their days off in San Francisco this time," she answered, confirming his biggest worries.

_Great, just fucking great_, Seth thought to himself. Now he would have to spend two days with a happy couple. Two people who were expecting a baby. A baby he wished didn't even exist.

"You okay, Seth?" Karo asked, sensing that he seemed to be uneasy about something but she couldn't put a finger on it.

During the last couple of days, Karo had been thinking a lot. A lot about Roman, a lot about Seth and a lot about herself. And she came to the conclusion that her pregnant hormones made her see things that didn't really happen. Tension? What tension? She was sure that she had just imagined things. Seth would never try to make a move on her and she felt silly for even thinking that. Especially with her being pregnant. She had to stop misinterpreting things and making a big deal out of them. Yes, she had inappropriate thoughts about Seth after seeing him naked but she blamed her current state for all of this. It could have been anyone and she probably would have felt the same. This wasn't about Seth. This was about her being horny but now that Roman was coming back, he was able to take care of that again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The pain killers are just kicking in again, you know?" he said, giving her a weak smile.

Karo nodded her head and yelped happily when she heard the doorbell ring, signalling that Roman was finally home again. She quickly made her way over to the front door, opening it hastily and jumping into her fiancé's arms, happy that he was able to catch her and not let her fall.

"Seems like somebody missed me," he said in between kisses, a huge smile on his face.

Karo wasn't able to respond, her lips instantly searching his again, engaging him into a heated kiss, a kiss full of passion and desire as well as love. A love she could only share with Roman and no one else. So it wasn't surprising that she completely forgot about Seth in that moment.

"Let's get inside, babygirl," Roman panted, trying to catch his breath and gently breaking the kiss.

He let her down on her two feet again, grabbing his suitcase with one hand and taking Karo's hand into his other, both of them walking into the living room after leaving the suitcase in the corridor.

"Hey man, what's up?" Roman said before high-fiving his best friend, smiling at him and sitting down on an armchair, pulling Karo close to him so that she could sit in his lap, both of them facing Seth.

"Nothing much. The knee is getting better and the pain isn't as intense as it has been before. So I'm all good. I guess one more week with the crutches and I'm ready to walk again," Seth replied conversationally, trying to act as casual as he could without sounding too pissed off.

And yes, he was pissed off. As much as he liked Roman as a friend, he was ruining the best thing that could ever happen to him. And that was being with Karolina.

"Sounds awesome," Roman said, his eyes now fixed on Karolina again, absently caressing her baby bump and smiling at her seductively.

Seth's blood was boiling by now. _Sounds awesome? Yeah, right. Fucking asshole_, he thought to himself. Roman wasn't even listening to him as he was too preoccupied with the girl both of them seemed to love. Could this get any worse? Yes, it certainly could.

"Listen man, I have to make up for lost time. So...uh...cover your ears for a few hours," Roman said, winking at his friend before slowly standing up and taking Karo's hand into his.

Karo opened her mouth to say something but shut it again immediately when Roman dragged her up the stairs. The look on Seth's face was a mixture of annoyance and insecurity. Something Karo had hardly ever seen when she looked at him. But she tried her best to just forget about it. All she wanted to care about now was Roman. The love of her life.

Things with Seth were fine. Nothing was wrong. She knew that she was imagining things. Or wasn't she?


	14. And it's gonna be a…

**THANKS THANKS THANKS to all of you for the amazing reviews! I love each and every one of it.**

**You keep motivating me to continue writing :)**

**As always I would like to thank my girls pezziecoyote, mrsrkoshield and ShannonTheAwesomeOne for always supporting me with this story.**

**Now enjoy & review!**

Chapter 14: And it's gonna be a…

"Make sure to give us a call whenever you're done, ok?" Karo asked Seth, leaning against the car with her back and smiling at him weakly.

Today was the first day of Seth having rehab. They had found a facility in the center of Pensacola so that Karo could always bring him there without driving for too long.

"I will. You guys take your time with the doctor's appointment. I'll be fine," he answered and slowly turned around with his crutches, following Roman who was still in Florida for another day.

Seth would lie if he said he wasn't happy that Roman would leave again soon. It was the harsh truth. He wanted to be alone with Karo. He wanted to show her that it was him who spent the most important time of her life with her. He was the one being there for her during the pregnancy. He had never been closer to her before. And Roman was disturbing their togetherness.

When Seth and Roman were out of sight, Karo decided to leave Shannon a text message, letting her know what kind of special day it was for them.

**_Hey sweetie! We just dropped off Seth at rehab and will make our way to the doctor's now! We'll find out today if we're gonna have a boy or girl! Will let you know ASAP! Love ya, K xx_**

As soon as she put her cell phone back into her purse, she watched as Roman approached her, a big smile gracing his face.

"You're ready to go, babygirl?" he asked before placing a sweet kiss on her lips.

"I'm excited," she said and looked at him when he kneeled down in front her, caressing her baby bump and kissing it softly.

"Hey cookie! Don't hide in there today. Mommy and daddy wanna know what to expect. I have to make sure to be prepared when you're here. Just to let you know that you won't be allowed to have dates until you're at least 30 if you're a girl," he said and kissed her belly again.

"Oh really? And if it's a boy you'll allow him to do anything, right?" she said, rolling her eyes at him when he was eye-level with her again.

"Of course. I'm gonna teach him how to spear people so that he won't be in trouble! I can't do that with a girl," he teased and kissed her forehead before opening the passenger door for her.

"Dumbass," she muttered and earned a slap on the ass while climbing into the car, yelping when his hand made contact with her behind which made him chuckle.

"No worries! I'm done with spanking you, babe," he said, closing her door and making his way to the other side.

No words could describe just how excited he was for that appointment. He honestly didn't care if they would have a boy or a girl. To him it was only important that their baby was healthy.

It took them only 10 more minutes until they reached Dr Matthew's office, excitement written all over their faces.

They had been waiting for this day for so long and now it was finally here. Anyone could tell by Karo's behavior that she was extremely nervous. Her hands were sweaty and she kept biting her bottom lip, putting a smile on Roman's face.

"Relax, babygirl. You only drive yourself and the baby crazy," he said, still trying to read the newspapers that were laid out in the waiting room, but he had to admit he couldn't really concentrate himself.

"I try. I just wish it was our turn already," she mumbled, her legs shaking uncontrollably until Roman placed one hand on her thigh, trying to calm her down.

"Ms Karolina Schneider?" the nurse called out, making Karo thank the Lord for answering her prayers.

She had no idea how much longer she could have waited without freaking out. Although she had been to quite a few appointments already, this one was special. At the beginning of the pregnancy, they both had discussed if they wanted to know the gender at all but had decided to go for it. They wanted to think of names, they wanted to buy baby clothes in either the colour blue or pink.

Roman took her hand into his and squeezed it lightly, letting her know that this time she wasn't alone. He hated that most of the times he wasn't able to accompany her to the different examinations but his schedule wouldn't allow him to be with her whenever something like that happened. He knew that she was fine with it. She accepted it, knowing how tough touring with the WWE could be. But he still felt terrible for missing out on so much.

"Ms Schneider, Mr Reigns, please have a seat," Dr Matthews said after shaking both of their hands, a friendly smile on his face.

He took out her health record documents and started skimming through the pages before directing his attention back to the expecting parents.

"Well Ms Schneider, week 20 already. As we have discussed last time, we wanted to try to find out if you're gonna have a little boy or girl today. Have you changed your mind or...?" he started but was immediately interrupted by an excited daddy-to-be.

"No...no...we wanna know, doc," he said, taking a deep breath and smiling at Karolina when she giggled.

He was such an adorable man. She knew it before she ever thought of being pregnant but ever since she had known, he had become a zillion times more adorable than before. It was the way he was talking to their baby. Even when he wasn't at home, he always asked Karo to place the phone on her baby bump to let him talk to their cookie. Whenever he was around he put lotion on her belly and caressed it, even singing a few Samoan songs for their baby. He was so proud of it without really knowing it yet.

"Great. Then let's get going. Ms Schneider, you know the procedure," the doctor said and motioned to the examination area, a smile on his face.

Roman followed his fiancée and the doctor to the ultrasonic device, helping her to lie down on the examination table and pushing up her shirt so that the doctor could finally start.

"Any troubles recently? How do you feel?" Dr Matthews asked while putting some gel on her belly, the device already being switched on.

"Well, my back starts hurting a little but I can manage. The heartburn is killing me though. And...uhm...I suffer from constipation once in a while," she said quietly, blushing slightly as she felt uncomfortable talking about it with Roman being around.

But he just kept a straight face. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. Not anymore. They were expecting a baby and he just wished that he could take away all the side effects she was suffering from if it would make her feel better.

"I can give you something for the heartburn. But regarding the constipation...you should eat more fruit and vegetables. It should be fine then. Otherwise let me know and we'll think of something," the doctor said and started with his examination.

Roman took Karo's hand and both of them watched the monitor in awe. Even as a layperson you could finally understand and see the different body parts of their baby, something that made Roman very emotional. He tried his best to choke down the tears that were fighting their way out of his eyes, swallowing hard when the doctor explained what was in front of them.

"Everything looks really good. The baby's size is optimal and the organs are developed to the appropriate extent. Is it very active at the moment?" he asked, taking a few pictures for her files.

"At the beginning it only moved in the evening and night hours but now it moves around in the mornings or afternoons," she replied, squeezing Roman's hand when she noticed his quietness that resulted from his emotional state.

"That sounds perfect. Okay, let's see if we can find a little something something...or not," the doctor joked, moving the device to another part of her belly, pushing her skin a little to have a better view.

"Here we go," Roman said nervously, kissing Karo's hand and taking a deep breath.

He had no idea why he was so extremely excited about it but he just couldn't help it. He just hoped that whatever it was going to be, the baby would have its mother's eyes. That she said the same about his eyes didn't matter to him. But he was sure that no matter what their baby would be the most beautiful one that was ever born.

"Hmm...okay...yes...definitely," the doctor mumbled to himself, taking a few more pictures before finally turning his attention back to the parents-to-be and cleaning Karo's belly with a few tissues.

"What is it, doc?" Roman asked excitedly, taking a few more tissues from Dr Matthews and helping his fiancée to clean up.

"Well, Mr Reigns, I think you can now warn your colleagues and tell them that in approximately 20 years there will be another little Roman spearing his way into the WWE," the doctor said before switching off the ultrasonic device.

"It's gonna be a boy?" Karo asked, looking at the doctor teary-eyed.

"Yes, it's going to be a little boy. Congratulations," he replied, slowly standing up and making his way over to his desk to leave Roman and Karolina alone for a few minutes.

They both just stared at each other, silent tears falling down her cheeks while he just smiled at her happily, bending over and placing a sweet kiss on her lips.

"A boy," he whispered, still unable to fathom what they had just been told.

He would have been just as happy if it would have been a girl, but knowing now that it was a boy was phenomenal. Thousands of thoughts were running through his head. Ideas of him teaching his son how to wrestle, showing him how to treat a lady or simply how to be a good man, the good man that he was. At least that was what Karo always told him.

"Another little Samoan monster," Karo joked and giggled when he started tickling her lightly.

"Yeah, no little German drama queen," he countered and earned a slap to the arm in return, but still getting a smile from his fiancée.

"So, normally we would have to see if everything is fine with the cervix, but I trust that you both would like to celebrate a little," he said and brought them back to reality, a huge smile on his face.

"Sorry, doc," Roman apologized, feeling slightly uncomfortable when he realized he was almost lying on top of Karo with him in presence.

"No worries, son," the elderly man said, nodding his head at him before looking at Karo again. "Don't drink too much, Ms Schneider."

He winked at her and extended his hand to both of them after they made their way over to the desk, gratefully taking a few of the pictures the doctor had printed out before.

After a few more friendly words, the two of them exited the office, falling into each other's arms and hugging the other one tightly. They didn't say anything for a few moments. They just enjoyed the moment to the fullest, fathoming that it wasn't an _it_ but a _he_ now.

Roman let go of her gently, kneeling in front of her and kissing her baby bump once again.

"Cookie, hey, it's daddy again. We just learned that you're a little boy. Hope you don't mind if I still call you cookie until we find a name for you, which we probably will soon, since I know your mother too well," he said and looked up at her, a smile on his face. "I love you little man. And I can't wait for you to be here with us soon."

She pressed her lips onto his as soon as he was standing on his two feet again, happy that he had shared this special moment with her. Without him she wouldn't have wanted to know. With no one but him. Not even with Seth or Shannon. _Speaking of Shannon..._

"Hey, let's call Dean and Shannon," Karo said, taking the cell phone out of her purse and following Roman who was gently dragging her to their car. He wanted to spend a few more hours alone with his fiancée before Seth would call to ask them to pick him up. He wanted to enjoy some alone-time with his girl...and his boy.

"WHAT'S IT GONNA BE?" Shannon yelled as soon as she had picked up the phone, making both Karo and Roman giggle as she was on loud speaker.

"You sure you wanna know?" Karo teased, knowing it would drive her best friend crazy.

"Oh my God. TWINS? TRIPLETS?" she asked shocked and yelped when Dean seemingly took the phone away from her.

"Don't fucking tell me it's more than one. I can't handle that," Dean said, sighing heavily.

"You can't handle that? As if you would have to. It's not like you're the father," Roman replied with a chuckle.

"Don't be so sure about that, buddy," Dean said, making Roman look at Karo wide-eyed.

"For fuck's sake, Dean. Tell him it's not true," Karo warned, fully aware of the fact that Roman trusted her but she wanted to make sure.

"Relax man, I was just kidding," he said, a huge smirk on his face which they unfortunately couldn't see. "But come on, spill the beans. Shannon can hear you as well."

"It's gonna be a boy," Roman said, bursting out in laughter when he heard Dean scream in joy while Shannon just mumbled something about wanting it to be a little girl.

"Sorry Shan, I try to make it a girl next time. I promise," Roman mentioned, grinning when he looked at Karo who was raising an eye-brow at him.

"You'd better. Or I'll kick you in the balls," she threatened and joined everyone in their laughter.

"You won't. I still need his balls. Speaking of that...we've gotta get going now. Byyyye byyyye," Karo said sweetly.

"Yeah right, don't do anything we wouldn't. Or...yeah, do whatever you want. It's too late for being careful anyways, you two dumbasses," Dean replied before quickly hanging up the phone, making them both laugh even harder.

Roman took the phone away from her and moved closer to her, placing another kiss on her lips and cupping one of her cheeks with his hand. He looked deep into her eyes, not believing that he was such a lucky guy for being with her. For being the father of her baby. For spending the rest of his life with her. He could be rather emotional sometimes but right now he didn't care. He was so happy and proud that he wanted the whole world to know. He wanted to scream. He wanted to let everyone know. _Everyone..._

"Like it or not, but I'm gonna make a post on twitter now," he announced, taking his cell phone out of his pocket before opening his Twitter app, excitedly typing the content of his tweet.

**_WWERomanReigns: Is the world prepared for another little Roman? You might as well get one, right KarolinaWWE? #happiestmanalive_**

They had never officially announced her pregnancy anywhere, but the media and the fans weren't stupid. They knew that Karo wasn't really injured. In times of the Internet nothing could be hidden anymore. And Roman didn't want to hide it anymore. Why should they? His fans had finally accepted his relationship to Karolina, at least most of them. And why not let them be a part of his life?

"And next time I'll post a picture of your baby bump," he said proudly while pushing his phone back into his pocket, a smile on his face.

"Right. Show the whole universe how fat I am," she snorted, rolling her eyes and staring out of her window, her mood suddenly changed again.

"Babygirl...," he sighed, forgetting how sensitive she was when it came to that subject. "Look at me please."

She took a deep breath before turning her head so that she was able to look at him again, the look in his eyes reflecting sadness.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you that you're the most beautiful woman walking this planet. And I mean it," he tried to reason but she just shook her head disbelievingly.

"Says the one that is currently touring the United States with the sexiest divas out there," she countered, frowning at him.

She didn't mean to be bitchy with him but the farther she was in the pregnancy, the uglier she felt. She just couldn't help it. But Roman wouldn't lie to her. There was no reason to. But she didn't believe him? Fine, he would have to be brutally honest with her then.

"Yeah, and none of them is able to get my dick hard. So they can't be that sexy. Only you have that effect on me," he said, looking at her sternly.

She remained silent for a few moments, thinking about what he had just said to her. She trusted him. She was sure he wouldn't be cheating on her. But as much as she enjoyed having sex with him, not to forget about her still being constantly horny, she knew that soon it wouldn't be that much fun anymore.

"Roman, you know that in a few weeks I'm not capable of having THAT kind of sex anymore. It's gonna be boring and probably awkward sex. And I'm sure you wouldn't even like it anymore," she said quietly, breaking the eye-contact.

"Babe, what are you talking about? Yeah, I know we have to stop doing this kinky, wild stuff... but it will never be boring with you. And awkward? Just because I can only take you from behind soon doesn't mean it's awkward at all. I actually kinda like it," he said, winking at her after lifting her chin with his hand.

"Now you make me blush," she said with a chuckle, surprisingly in a better mood again.

"Let's stop worrying too much and keep enjoying the news we've just received, ok? I'm sure Seth will call us in an hour or two and I wanted to have lunch with you before he does. Whatcha craving for, babygirl?" he asked, starting the engine after putting on the seatbelt.

"Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Burgers, ice cream...you name it," she said and giggled when he theatrically rolled his eyes at her.

Although she sometimes drove him crazy with her mood swings, he still loved her with all his heart. And nothing could change that. Not her growing baby bump, not her moodiness, not her whining...nothing. She was his everything.

**...**

"Seeeethiiie," Karo screamed and almost jumped into his arms before realizing again that he wouldn't be able to catch her.

"Whoa whoa, baby. Relax," he said with a chuckle when she wrapped her arms around his mid-section. "And damn, don't call me Sethie in public."

"Aww, don't you like that SETHIE?" Roman teased and patted his best friend on the shoulder.

"Hush your face, man," he replied, sticking out his tongue to his Samoan friend.

It had become increasingly difficult for Seth to decide between hating Roman or being happy to be his friend. Hate was such a strong word and he didn't really like using it. Then again this wasn't about Roman. He would be angry with anyone that was dating Karo. Or getting her pregnant. He tried his best to feel like the friends they had used to be. And thankfully Roman didn't notice the change in Seth's behaviour. And even if he did he would probably blame the injured knee for his bitchiness. He kept reminding himself that Karo was out of reach, that she belonged to Roman. But having her in his arms didn't really help matters. He wanted her. And he was mad at himself for it.

"You wanna know what the doctor said?" Karo asked after letting go of him, taking away a few documents he had squeezed under his armpits.

"I bet you're gonna have a little alien, right?" Seth said and chuckled when she poked his belly.

"Something like that. But it will be a male alien. We're having a little boy," she said, clapping her hands excitedly and kissing Roman's cheek happily.

"Wow...that's...uh...awesome," Seth said, the intention of being Roman's friend gone instantly. Now he was mad and angry again.

"Yeah, and now we need to find a name. I really like Jacob, but Roman hates it," Karo stated, sticking out her bottom lip, making a pouty face.

"I won't name my son after a freaky werewolf from Twilight," Roman complained, tapping his forehead at her. "Tell her that's ridiculous, Seth."

"Uhm yeah, I guess it is. But hey, it's your decision what name you..." he started, wanting to change the subject immediately as he didn't want to think about the baby anymore, but he was immediately interrupted by Karo.

"Benjamin is nice as well. Or Anthony...hm...that's so difficult," she mumbled, scratching the back of her head absently.

"Joshua," Roman suddenly said, looking back and forth between Karo and Seth. "Joshua Reigns."

"Oh my God, I love it," she said, covering her mouth with one of her hands while placing the other one on her baby bump. "Did you hear that little one?"

Seth had to take a deep breath while watching the scene in front of him. Happy tears were now streaming down Karo's face when Roman, as always, kneeled down in front of her and kissed her belly.

"Cookie...we have a name for you. How do you like Joshua? Come on, gimme a sign, little boy," Roman whispered before pressing his ear against her baby bump, waiting for a reaction of their baby.

And as if it really heard him, little Joshua kicked his mother lightly, showing Roman that he was happy with his new name.

"He likes it," she said, her eyes shining with joy. "Seth, he reacted to the name. Come here, feel it."

She took Seth's hand and guided it to her belly after Roman moved away, letting him feel how the baby was moving inside of her. Seth couldn't help but be overwhelmed by feeling the baby's kicks. He tried to suppress the thought of it being Roman's son, but he failed miserably. It hurt him extremely.

"That's awesome, sweetheart," he said, giving her a weak smile and kissing her cheek sweetly.

He was happy for her. He really was. But he still wished she wouldn't have that baby. He wished he had been the one asking her out on a date after the Drew incident. He wished it was him she would share her bed with. He was a selfish asshole, he admitted it. But he wasn't doing this on purpose. He really didn't want this to happen but it did and he couldn't change that. And it wasn't as if he didn't try to forget about her. He had. He had tried his hardest. But it simply didn't work. She was everything he could think about and nobody would believe just how much he hated himself for feeling the way he felt.

"Let's go home and have a little threesome celebration," Roman joked and winked at both Karo and Seth, making her giggle. "I need a beer, what about you, man?"

"Oh you bet. I really could use one. Let's get going then. I'm done for today. I mean...uhm...rehab was tough. But let's talk about this later. I need to get shitfaced, bro," Seth replied, planning on getting drunk so that he wouldn't have to listen to the celebration sex Roman and Karo would most definitely have that night.

He was surprised when Karo once again kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body close to his. _God, you smell so good_, he thought to himself while tightly shutting his eyes. He couldn't get enough of her. And by tomorrow evening he would finally be alone with her again. Just Seth and Karolina. No more Roman. _Speaking of Roman..._

"Come on guys. You can do the cuddling at home," he said, interrupting the _intimate_ moment Seth just had with Karo.

An intimate moment that probably wasn't the last one between those two. He would make sure of that. Seth knew he would risk everything by trying to make a move on her but he had long lost control over his feelings. His heart was stronger than his head. And one day he would regret that. That was a fact.


	15. A night that could change everything

**After this booooring PPV on Sunday, I was hoping that maybe my new chapter would be a little bit more interesting for you all ;-)**

**Thanks to all of my lovely ladies:**

**ShannonTheAwesomeOne, pezziecoyote, mrsrkoshield, InsaneCaliGurl, benova13, Shannon5288, 6, DeeMarie426, melzabelza and aaaall the other awesome readers.**

**Unbelievable that now, after only 14 chapters, I already have 112 reviews. That's more than I had for "Please protect me from injustice" when it was complete.**

**THANK YOU ALL! Enjoy & review!**

Chapter 15: A night that could change everything

It had been a week since Roman had left again to join Dean and Shannon on tour. A whole week. Seven days. And nobody would ever understand just how much he missed Karolina and his little Joshua. He had been the happiest man alive when he had learned that they were going to have a boy. He would have been fine with whatever it was going to be but now he had already made plans what to teach his son in order to make him a good man.

But first he had to call his fiancée to give her some bad news. He had only known for a few hours himself but he had to let her know as soon as possible.

"Roman," she simply said after picking up the phone, a huge smile gracing her face.

Oh, how she missed him. He was her everything and each second she wasn't able to spend with him was lost time. They had never been apart from each other for such a long time and she was desperate to finally see and feel him again.

"Babygirl, hey..." he said, his voice deep and soft. "How are you and Joshua doing?"

"Wonderful. We're waiting for daddy to come home, right cookie?" she asked while softly poking her baby bump, giggling when she heard him chuckle.

"You have no idea how bad daddy wants to come back but that might not happen for another four days, I'm afraid...," he said and trailed off, letting out a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean? You were supposed to come back tomorrow morning," she said, a slight tone of reproach in her statement.

"I know, babygirl. And I already had the plane tickets. I actually wanted to pack my stuff when Hunter called me. They decided at the last minute to put me and Dean in a match at the Pay Per View in two days," he replied, feeling horrible to tell her over the phone as he knew just how much this would hurt her.

"But why? How? I mean...I don't understand," she stuttered, trying to fathom what he had just told her.

He was not coming back for another four days. This would almost make two weeks in a row without the man she loved and needed. The man whose baby she was carrying. She wanted to be in his arms, have him massage her baby bump with oil and talk to their baby. She needed his love and comfort. Just his presence alone would be sufficient.

"Since Seth will be out for a few more months, they want us to lose the tag team belts. And so they put me and Dean together and we will lose the titles on Sunday against Jimmy and Jey," Roman explained, his own words hurting him when he once again realized that soon he wouldn't be a champion anymore.

"But that's not fair," she simply said, sad that he would have to lose his belt and that he wouldn't be home for another few days all at the same time.

"It's not. But what are they supposed to do, babygirl? They need to come up with a storyline for me. At the moment all I do is accompany Dean to the ring and beat the shit out of a few of the other boys," he tried to reason, complaining a little in the process.

"But...does...uhm...does that mean they're gonna split you guys up?" she asked, the fear in her voice unmistakable.

She knew that one day it would be the time for the Shield to break up. But for her this wasn't just a stable. It was her life, her family, her best friends. It was her everything. And as often as Roman was trying to tell her that nothing would change, she knew that it definitely would.

"They probably will soon. But that won't be happening until after Seth is back. But babygirl, just think about the possibilities...Steph and Hunter have told me many times that after the breakup, there might be a chance for me to be a World Champion," he said, excitement written all over his face, something she unfortunately couldn't see.

It was his biggest dream to once become the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion. And he knew he had the quality and strength to do so. He had improved so much in and out of the ring and finally had the self-confidence he needed to be a top guy.

"That doesn't bring you back tomorrow," she complained, immediately regretting to blame him for her loneliness because she knew that it wasn't his fault.

She should be happy for him. He would have another match at a big PPV and that was all that mattered. It was another step in the right direction. The direction that one day would lead to the top of the company.

"Sweetie, please..." he started, sighing heavily and running a shaky hand through his thick dark hair.

He also didn't like the thought of being away from her for another few days but there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing. And he knew that normally she would accept it without a second thought. But he also knew that now, with her being 6 months' pregnant, she needed him more than ever. Seth and his family were there for her whenever she needed them, but there were times when all she needed was him. Something no one else would be able to give her.

"I'm sorry. I just miss you so much. And so does Joshua...he's trying to get my attention right now," she said and giggled when she felt her baby kick her lightly.

"Put the phone on your belly. I wanna talk to him," he replied, his heart beating fast in his chest just thinking about the feeling of his son being active in his mommy's tummy.

He remained silent for a few moments, trying hard to focus on what she was possibly doing until he was sure that the phone was where he needed it to be at that moment.

"Cookie? Uhm...I mean Joshua...hey...it's daddy," he started, shaking his head slightly when he realized how stupid he actually was for talking to someone who wouldn't even understand him, but he somehow had the feeling that his words might reach the little wonder inside of Karolina. "Listen little man, I need you to be good to your mommy, ok? I have to work and she hates being without me. So you have to be the big guy now. Show her some love and let her know that she's never alone. Would you do that for me, son? I love you and I miss you. I'll be home soon and I promise to sing for you then."

"He would love that," Karolina said after a few moments of silence.

Whenever Joshua heard his daddy's voice, it would soothe him and eventually he would fall asleep. And now that Roman was gone, he was more active than he normally was, probably sensing that his father wasn't home.

"Will you be alright, babygirl?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

"As much as I can, sexy," she replied, trying to choke down the tears that were building in her eyes.

But she didn't want to cry. At least not with him on the phone with her. She knew how much he hated just knowing that she was sad. And she didn't want him to feel bad. It wasn't his fault that all of this was happening. He had to be solely focused on his match, even if he was going to lose it.

"Uhm...there's something else I gotta tell you," he said a little unsure, hoping that all the times he had tried to say those words would pay off now.

"What's that? You're not coming back for another week after that?" she asked sarcastically, mentally slapping herself for even saying that. It wasn't fair.

"Karolina? I...uhm...ich liebe dich," he said, the thick American accent unmistakable when he said those three German words.

She covered her mouth with her free hand in surprise, silent tears falling down her cheek now. She remembered that he had always said he wanted to learn more about Germany and its language. It was her home. The place the mother of his child was coming from. And he wanted his kid to know about that. He wanted his son to know about his German and Samoan heritage. Joshua was going to be a little American boy but there was so much more in his blood than just that. And maybe telling her that he loved her in German would be a start for now.

"Ich liebe dich auch," she said with a chuckle while wiping away the happy tears with the fabric of her shirt.

"Now be a good girl and stop crying. I'll call and text you as much as I can. Every free minute I have I will get back to you. Bye babygirl...take care," he said in a low voice before hanging up the phone shortly afterwards.

As soon as the conversation was over, Karo put her cell phone next to her on the bed and threw herself on her back. Now there was no need to hold back anymore. She had to let it all go. For seven days she had missed him, desperately. And now she would have to suffer for another four days. And that was killing her. She felt alone. She was lonely and sad. And she just couldn't stop crying. But she knew she would have to. Joshua was fuzzy anyways and he really didn't need his mother to add to the stress.

_Get your act together now, Karolina_, she thought to herself. She tried hard to control her sobs before finally getting up and slowly making her way downstairs. She made a beeline to a sleeping Seth on the couch, his back facing her and light snores filling the room. He looked adorable when he was asleep. Like an angel. And as much as she hated to wake him up, she needed him right now.

"Seth?" she said quietly, shaking his shoulder gently. "Sethie? Please wake up."

Seth stirred a little, thinking he was dreaming again when he heard Karo's voice whispering to him. He had been dreaming about her a lot recently. Some dreams were about them holding hands and walking on the beach while others were about them having hot, passionate sex.

"Seth..." she once again said, shaking him a little more firmly.

He slightly opened his eyes, the living room still surrounded in darkness and with only the moon shining through the curtains. He wasn't sure if this was still a dream but when he felt a small hand on his shoulders, he cautiously turned around and immediately found Karo's beautiful big blue eyes. Eyes that were now blood-shot and sad.

"Sweetheart, what is it? Why are you crying?" he asked as soon as he had realized that she had been crying. "Are you ok? Is everything fine with the baby?"

As much as he wished that the baby didn't exist, he still wanted it to be healthy. It wouldn't be fair to wish that this child would be ill. It wasn't the baby's fault that he was in love with his mother.

"We're fine. He's okay. I...I...Roman just called and told me he has to stay on the road for another few days," she explained, another fresh wave of tears streaming down her face.

"Yeah, I know. He texted me an hour ago but wanted to tell him yourself. But babe, it's okay. You're not alone," he tried to reason, slowly and carefully trying to sit up without using his knee too much.

"But I feel lonely," she mumbled, nestling her face in the crook of his neck when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Don't. I'm here for you. Always," he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head and closing his eyes tightly for a few short moments.

He wasn't lying. He would always be there for her, no matter what. And maybe this was his chance. Maybe it was a sign for him to make his move now that Roman was gone for another week. He felt horrible for feeling that way but now would probably be the best time for convincing her that he was the best choice for her. She wasn't in her right state of mind and he had to use it.

"Seth? Uhm...would you...I mean...do you think you could hold me tonight? I don't wanna be by myself," she said quietly, relaxing when he squeezed her shoulder gently and running a hand through her hair.

"Of course, sunshine. Let's try to get me up there and...," he started but was immediately interrupted by her.

"No way. I can crash on the couch with you. You shouldn't exhaust yourself too much," she tried to reason but he would have none of it.

"Karolina, I'm sure your little guy would like his mommy to feel comfy. Let's go upstairs. I'll manage," he insisted, grabbing one of his crutches that were on the floor next to him and taking the hand Karo extended to him.

He easily made his way over to the stairs and handed the crutches to Karolina who was standing behind him. Step by step he hopped up the stairs, taking a moment to steady himself once in a while. But he was a big, strong guy and after only a few minutes he had made it to the first floor, waiting for Karo to give him back his crutches.

"See. No problem at all, right? Now let's get to your room. It's late and you need some sleep," he said, giving her a weak smile.

His heart was about to explode in his chest. It felt wrong to share Roman's bed with her, but he was excited he was able to spend the night with her in his arms. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The moment of them sharing some kind of intimate togetherness.

He watched her as she was leading the way to the bedroom. Her close-fitting shirt clung to her body tightly, emphasizing her ever-growing breasts. He was sure she wasn't even wearing a bra, knowing that she hated wearing one when she went to bed. He wanted to touch them so badly. Feeling how soft they felt in his hands.

Her ass was barely covered by her black lace panties, showing the firm and round form of her behind which sent chills up and down his spine. He had a hard time not being too excited about this. The fact that she was wearing nothing else but this was reason enough to give him an erection.

"Uhm...I always sleep on this side," she pointed to the left side of the bed before looking back at him shyly. "Would you take the other one?"

"Sure, babe. Whatever you prefer," he replied before winking at her and hopping to the other side of the bed.

He leaned his crutches against the wall before sitting down onto Roman's mattress, the scent of his best friend's cologne filling his nose and making him close his eyes in anger. But he had to remind himself that it was him who would be spending the night with her. Not Roman.

"You okay?" she asked when she saw that he tensed up, frowning at him with worry in her eyes.

"Perfectly fine. Just thinking about how I move over to get comfy," he replied before flashing her a goofy smile.

He prepped himself up on his hands and somehow managed to lie down on his right side, pushing his hurt knee behind a little so that she wouldn't be touching it accidentally.

"Come here, sweetie," he said while motioning her with his finger to move closer to him. "I'm comfy now."

She nodded her head and smiled at him happily, relieved that he agreed to be there for her when she most needed him. But why wouldn't he? They had been the closest of friends and there almost weren't any boundaries between those two. No secrets, nothing to be embarrassed about. That was why she didn't change clothes. She knew he would be fine with her wearing whatever she felt like. He had never wanted to change her. He liked her the way she was. If she only knew how much that really was...

"Just pinch me if I hurt your knee," she said, turning her back to face him and slowly moving closer until her back met his bare chest.

He had been wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. A sight she had seen so many times before. She had actually seen him with less. And it didn't bother her. He was a sight for sore eyes. A young handsome man. Maybe if it wasn't for Roman, she would be interested in him instead. But that was nothing she should be worrying about now. He was her best friend. Nothing else.

He gently wrapped one arm around her from behind, placing his hand on her baby bump softly. He wished he would have had other possibilities but touching her boobs or crotch wasn't something he could do. Not in the current situation he was in.

He buried his nose into her hair, inhaling her scent deeply and feeling a rush running through his whole body. His heartbeat had increased as soon as he had touched the warmth of her soft skin. He only hoped she couldn't feel it as well. That would have been way to embarrassing.

He swallowed hard when she put her hand over his, intertwining their fingers and softly squeezing it.

"Thank you, Seth," she whispered, her eyes closed now after feeling his well-toned chest pressed against her back

She had always felt safe in his arms. He was home away from home. The home she normally called Roman. His touch was gentle, his skin hot against hers. She couldn't help but have goose bumps all over her body. And she felt bad for it. She felt bad for it because these goose bumps were a sign of excitement and maybe even arousal. She was lonely. She felt so alone and she needed nothing more than love, comfort and a little attention. She was hoping it would be Roman who would be giving all of these things to her. But now it was Seth who stepped in, making her feel all the things she normally shouldn't be allowed to feel. But it was nothing she could control. Her head wasn't functioning anymore. As soon as she had been touched, it was her heart and body who decided about the steps she was about to take.

She softly shook her head, trying to get rid of these thoughts that were occupying her mind. What was she even thinking? Why was she even feeling this way? But once again she told herself that this wasn't about Roman or Seth or anyone else. It was her current state of mind. It was about her hormones which have gotten the best of her. But this time she would control herself. She wouldn't let anything happen. It wouldn't be fair to Roman. And it also wouldn't be fair to Seth. Her best friend. The one that was trying to help her with the pain she was suffering because the man that she loved was serving justice to the wrestling world.

"Don't. There is no need to say thank you. I've told you I would always be there for you whenever you need me," he whispered back, placing a quick kiss on her earlobe.

Karolina shuddered when she felt his breath against her ear. She was sure he wasn't doing this on purpose. He just wanted her to stop crying. He wanted to make sure she would be able to relax and find a few hours of sleep. Seth exactly knew how much she missed Roman. He had promised him to look after her. And that was what he was doing. It was as simply as it was.

He started caressing her baby bump gently, a smile on his face when he noticed that her breathing had become shallow. She seemed to enjoy this. For whatever reason. But that just showed him that soon she would be in the situation he wanted her to be. He NEEDED her to be.

"It's a shame that somebody like you doesn't have a girlfriend," she said after a few moments of silence, surprising him with her statement.

"Why would you think that, babe?" he asked, his eyes still closed while his fingers drew invisible circles on her belly.

"You deserve love. You're such a good-looking, humble and sweet guy. Don't you miss being in a woman's arms?" she asked, moving slightly so that she was lying on her back, her eyes meeting his immediately.

"But I am now, Karolina," he said while still caressing her absently. "I'm in the arms of a woman."

She smiled at him shyly but he just kept a straight face. He meant it. He didn't miss being in anybody's arms. He was in her arms and that was all he needed.

He supported his head on his right hand while his free one moved from her baby bump up to her face. He started tracing her jawline with his fingers, his eyes following his movements slowly.

"You know what I mean. Don't you have the feeling of...you know...uhm...get a release?" she asked, insecurity reflecting in her eyes which made him chuckle.

"Don't worry about me, babe. My knee is fucked up but both of my hands are healthy," he said amused, swallowing hard when she bit her bottom lip.

"Have you...uh...have you done it here? I mean...," she stuttered, feeling the heat rising into her cheeks and making her blush.

"Have you had sex with Roman while I was here?" he asked in return, not believing where this conversation was leading to.

"Well...uhh..." she mumbled, not sure what to say anymore.

She had always been able to talk to Seth about everything. Every dirty little secret, every fantasy, every dream...and every boring detail of life. But they had never laid in bed together with him caressing her whole body while doing it.

"We all know you guys have. So yeah, I've helped myself as well. But no worries, I've always cleaned up," he interrupted when she was trying to find the right words.

She had no idea why but she couldn't help but feel aroused when thinking about Seth stroking himself. She knew she shouldn't even think about something like that but she wished she would have been able to help him. Maybe she only thought about that as he had just started tracing her collarbone, his hand dangerously close to her breasts.

She just watched him in awe, not able to form a coherent sentence anymore as his touch made her whole body quiver. The tension in the air was almost tangible. Seth knew it too. He knew that his plan was working out. And right in this very moment he wasn't even ashamed about it.

"Seth...," she started but trailed off when she noticed that his face was moving closer to hers.

The moment his chocolate brown eyes looked into her blue ones, she totally forgot about what she wanted to say. Everything seemed to be unreal. She felt like she was in a trance. Maybe all of this wasn't even happening. Maybe she was sleeping and Roman would be back in the morning.

"Shh...relax...babygirl," he said, emphasizing the last word, knowing it would make her weak in the knees.

She swallowed hard before licking her suddenly dry lips nervously. What was happening? What was going on? This couldn't be true. It shouldn't be.

He looked back and forth between her eyes and lips, taking a very deep breath before slowly closing the short distance between their lips, their noses touching now. He softly pressed his lips onto hers, his eyes closing when he could finally feel her, a soft moan escaping him. This was the moment he had been waiting for. For so long. And now it finally was there. Her lips were just as soft as he had already imagined them. They felt perfect on his. Simply perfect.

He could feel that her whole body tensed up. Thousands of thoughts were running through her mind, confusing her. It felt so good to have him kiss her. It felt right. But at the same time she knew that it was so wrong. So damn wrong.

She couldn't move, she wasn't brave enough to do so. She just enjoyed feeling his plump lips on hers while he ran his hand through her long blonde hair. He was so gentle, so caring. So...not Roman.

"Stop," she said, completely out of breath, trying to push him away softly without hurting his knee in the process.

The look in his eyes reflected hurt and sadness. Yes, it hurt him that she was rejecting him. Although it was a small victory for him to have been able to kiss her, he was sad that it was not more than that. Not more than just a simple kiss.

"I'm sorry, Karolina. I don't know what...," he began but Karo stopped him from continuing.

"Please...just don't say anything. I think you'd better go back downstairs again," she said nervously, crossing her arms in front of her chest so that he wouldn't see her hardened nipples.

"But babe. I thought you didn't want to be alone and I...," he tried to reason but it was hopeless.

"Please. Just leave, ok?" she begged, not being able to look into his eyes anymore.

She couldn't even see that Seth nodded his head as her back faced him now. She could only hear how he tried to get off of the bed, cursing when his crutches fell down in front of him. She felt horrible for treating him like this now but she had to protect herself.

"Good night, sweetheart," he said quietly after a few long moments, hoping she would look at him but she just stared at her hands which were folded in her lap.

He opened the door and stepped out cautiously when she remained silent. _Great, just fucking great_, he thought to himself after closing the bedroom door behind him again. He had fucked things up. That was it. Once and for all. She would probably call Roman and tell him, causing all hell to break loose. But at least he had the chance to get a kiss. A soft and meaningful kiss. He was on cloud 9 and in a deep hole all at the same time. He loved her so much. Even more now.

But she just hated herself. She was mad, angry and disappointed. How could she let him do this to her? He was her best friend. She wasn't supposed to kiss him back. But she had. She had pressed her lips against his and it had felt wonderful. And that was the worst thing of all.

She had no idea what to do now. She only knew that she wouldn't tell Roman about it. Not now, maybe not ever. But what did all of this mean? What did that kiss mean? Maybe it only happened by accident. It must have. Why would Seth even try to destroy their friendship? He would never do this on purpose. Or would he?


	16. Does friendship turn into love?

**Ooookay, I see you're all a little mad at Seth and I can somehow understand why you all do when at the same time I feel sorry for him. I know, I'm such a weirdo…I'm writing that damn story and make him that way haha**

**Thanks for your awesome reviews and all the support. You know who you are :)**

**Enjoy & review!**

Chapter 16: Does friendship turn into love?

_Okay Karolina, now take a deep breath and get it over with. You can't keep hiding in this room for the rest of your life,_ she thought to herself.

Needless to say, she hadn't slept much the last night. She had been constantly thinking about Seth and that kiss. The kiss that meant so much to her although it really shouldn't. She had enjoyed it. It felt good to have his lips on hers, his hands caressing and touching her body.

But it was wrong. They shouldn't have shared this kiss. It would ruin their friendship. It would make Roman furious if he ever found out. It would destroy everything. She didn't want that to happen, so she would act as if nothing had happened. It was that simple.

She slowly made her way downstairs and stopped dead in her tracks the minute she laid eyes on Seth. He looked tired, probably also not having gotten enough sleep the night before. Her heart broke when she saw the sad expression on his face. He seemed to be hurt. But she couldn't and shouldn't feel sorry for him. She had to remain focused and try to forget about the intimate moment they had shared in her and Roman's bed the night before. It was something she had to do.

"Good morning, Seth," she said quietly while taking the last few steps, interrupting his thoughts and thereby startling him slightly.

He lifted his head, looking at her with a straight face after noticing that she was fully dressed. Something she normally wasn't after just getting up. She would stay in her hot-pants and the skin-tight top she always slept in, showing off what Mother Nature gifted her with. But this morning was different. This morning everything was changed. And all of this was his own fault. She would probably retreat and keep her distance from him from now on. And he couldn't even blame her for this.

"Hey Karo. Uhm...I think we need to talk about..." he started but she silenced him immediately.

"Are you hungry? What do you want for breakfast? I'm starving," she said before giving him a fake smile, turning around quickly and making her way to the kitchen.

_Fucking awesome. Good job, Seth. Now she's completely acting as if nothing had ever happened_, he thought to himself.

Maybe he should feel relieved about her behaviour. It might have been for the best. But deep down it still hurt him because he knew that this kiss meant something to not only him but her as well.

"I can cook breakfast as well," he said after following her on his crutches, leaning them against a wall and hopping over to stand next to her.

"Nah, I'll take care of it. Why don't you go back to the living room and relax a little?" she asked after moving away from him again, not wanting to be too close to him.

"Because I want to be with you," he said as a matter of fact, looking at her sternly.

He knew that this statement might as well have two different meanings but maybe that was his intention. He wanted to be with her. Not only in this very moment, but in general.

"Uh...ok...then just watch me while I prepare it, I guess," she said, nervously scratching the back of her head.

There was a tension between them that was indescribable. She could feel him staring at her which made her feel extremely uncomfortable. He wouldn't say a thing though. He remained silent which made everything so much worse. He was angry. Not only with himself but with her as well. Why wouldn't she just give in and finally let loose? She was in denial. He just knew how much he meant to her.

"So...well...me and Joshua are craving for bacon. Is that ok for you?" she asked, mentioning her baby on purpose to emphasize that she wanted to forget about the kiss.

"Whatever you want, I want as well," he simply said, his eyes still fixed on hers.

She ran a shaky hand through her long blonde hair, wishing that somebody would just get her out of that awkward situation she was having with her best friend. But was he even still her best friend? What was this between them now? She wished that things were back to normal. That she could just hug him, kiss his cheek and cuddle with him. But she wasn't sure if this was such a good idea. Probably not. She didn't even know why all of this was happening. Did he love her more than just a friend? Did he actually LOVE her? Did she love him?

She shook her head quickly, trying to escape the thoughts that were running through her head. Yes, she loved him. But not in the way she loved Roman. Roman was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He was the one she wanted to get married to. She was carrying his baby. They were going to be parents of a wonderful little boy. And what did she do? She allowed her best friend to kiss her and she didn't even fight him.

"Will you tell Roman?" Seth asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.

He wouldn't give in just yet. He wouldn't allow her to just forget about this. If he had to kiss her again to remind her that she loved him, then he would do it in a heartbeat.

"Tell Roman what?" she asked, not being able to look into his eyes as she knew that he would see that she was just acting as if she didn't care.

"Karolina, please..." he pleaded before getting off of the barstool and closing the distance between them.

"Yeah. Yes, I'm gonna tell him that I cried my eyes out after he told me he wouldn't come home. And I will tell him that I fell asleep immediately afterwards. Because there is nothing else to tell him, right Seth?" she explained before looking at him intently, her eyes signalling him that she was done talking about that specific topic and daring him to not even think about telling Roman.

Seth just nodded his head, realizing that he was not going to win this game. At least not this time. He would leave her thinking she had him in the palm of her hand. But maybe, just maybe, he had her in his. He might as well twist this story a little and see what Roman thought about that.

**…**

The last few days had been uneventful. As much as they could be. Karolina still acted as if nothing had happened and Seth couldn't do anything but accept it.

The tension between them was undeniable nonetheless. She wouldn't let him touch her like he used to do before the kiss. As he had feared, she kept her distance.

They would still eat together, they would watch movies and listen to music. But she wouldn't let him caress her while doing it. She wouldn't let him place his head into her lap so that she could trail his facial hair with her fingertips. Nothing. And it felt horrible. He missed her touch. He missed inhaling her scent when he would bury his nose into her hair. He simply missed her. She was so close but still so far away.

And worst of all? Roman was coming back today. Seth had no idea what was going to happen. Would she tell him? Would he spill the beans? Even if it wasn't on purpose? How was he supposed to act towards his best friend whose pregnant girlfriend he tried to seduce!? So many questions. But no answers.

"I'm hoooome," a deep voice suddenly yelled, making Karo squeal and jump off of the couch before running towards Roman, her arms immediately wrapped around his midsection.

"Oh God, you have no idea how much we missed you," she mumbled with her face being pressed against his chest.

"_We_ as in me and Seth or _we_ as in me and Joshua?" he teased before softly kissing the top of her head, turning his attention to Seth who was sitting on the couch, waving at his best buddy with a smile on his face.

"Joshua. Me and Joshua...we missed you," she quickly answered, taking his hand into hers and guiding it to her ever-growing baby bump.

"I missed my babies too," he said before gently caressing her belly, both of his hands now roaming all over it. "Joshua? Cookie...hey, I'm finally back home. I hope you kept your mommy happy. She seems a little stressed though. Anything you need to tell me, little man?"

Karo swallowed hard and glanced at Seth inconspicuously before turning her attention back to her fiancé.

"I'm fine. I just missed daddy, right Joshua?" she explained, placing her hands over his and smiling up at him.

She was so happy he was finally back. She had missed him so incredibly much. She knew that the coming two days would be difficult and she hoped that Seth would keep his mouth shut. She wanted enjoy the time she would spend with Roman as much as she could and she would kick his ass if he tried to fuck this up.

"Good, you know I would freak out if something was bothering you," he said, winking at her before taking one of her hands into his and leading her to the living room area where he high-fived Seth and sat down next to him.

"Sorry for losing the belts, man," he said before motioning for Karo to come closer and sit in his lap which she reluctantly did. Fortunately Roman didn't notice the tension between his fiancée and best friend, he was too happy to be back home that things like that just passed him.

"I have to apologize, bro. If it wouldn't have been for my knee, we would still be champs," Seth replied, shrugging his shoulders and hanging his head in defeat before giving his friend a weak smile.

Did Roman really apologize for losing the tag team championships? Was he really? Seth hated himself even more after once again realizing what a great guy Roman actually was. He was the bestest friend he could ask for. So humble, so down to earth. And what was he doing? He was trying to get into his pregnant fiancée's pants. What an act of class, Mr Rollins.

"So you took good care of my girl right here?" he asked before kissing Karo's cheek softly, smiling at her while caressing her back gently.

"You bet I did," he answered, a mischievous smirk on his face when he looked directly into Karo's eyes.

"Yeah...right...so...I'm sure you need a nap. The trip must have been exhausting. Shall we go upstairs, baby?" she asked, immediately wanting to change the subject before things got heated.

"Actually I'm fine. I wanted to catch up with...," he started but she wouldn't let him finish his sentence.

"But maybe I need a nap. Wouldn't you want to join me?" she begged, batting her eyelashes at him. How could he even deny her anything now?

Roman raised an eyebrow at Seth and patted his shoulder with a smirk on his face.

"You know how she is. I have to fulfil my duties," he said, winking at his best friend before following his fiancée who was already going up the stairs.

Seth was furious. Not even with Roman. But with Karolina. He knew she was doing this on purpose. She would get Roman away from him so that he wouldn't tell him. She was trying to be all sweet and have him fuck her senseless while he was sitting in that freaking living room, covering his ears so that he wouldn't be able to hear anything. It killed him to know that just a few feet away from him, his best friend and the love of his life would probably have sex with each other. Maybe even worse: they would make love.

Yes, that was what Karo wanted. And so desperately needed.

"That wasn't nice, babe. I'm sure Seth was curious about what's happening on the road," Roman said after sitting down on the bed, watching her as she locked the bedroom door quickly.

"Aren't you curious about how Joshua and I are doing?" she countered, knowing that this would open his eyes and make him forget about Seth for a while.

He smiled at her and extended his hand, softly dragging her closer to him so that she was standing in front of him, her baby bump facing him. He slowly lifted her shirt and placed sweet kisses all over her belly, smiling to himself when she let out a soft moan.

"You really did miss me, didn't you?" he asked, chuckling when she mumbled a soft 'yes'.

He placed both of his hands on either side of her bump, surprised at how fast it was growing. She looked absolutely wonderful carrying his baby. He was such a proud man. He was proud of her, proud of their baby and even proud of himself. Soon they were going to be a happy family and he couldn't wait for the day of his son's birth.

"He's asleep, isn't he?" Roman asked before pressing his ear against her skin, trying hard to focus on any movements his baby boy would make but there were none.

"He is. He wanted mommy and daddy to have some alone-time," she said and winked at him before seductively licking her suddenly dry lips.

"Sick of your vibrator already?" he teased, his hands moving from her belly to her ass, squeezing it softly.

"It does its job but it is nothing compared to feeling you inside of me. I...uhm...I know I'm a big girl now but...well...do you think you could still handle me?" she stuttered nervously.

It was one of those days when she felt uncomfortable in her body. She loved being pregnant. It was a wonderful and exciting journey. And after all the negative side effects during the first few months, she was cherishing every day of carrying this baby. But sometimes she just felt fat, gross and ugly. And she had no idea how Roman – and even Seth – could find her just one bit sexy and desirable.

Without answering her immediately, he let go of her gently before pushing his shirt over his head and throwing it away aimlessly. He lifted his tattooed arm and flexed his biceps, smirking at her when she bit her bottom lip. He knew she loved how well-toned he was. He was training hard to look this way. And he had to say he was proud about how he looked. It wasn't as if he was cocky and arrogant about it, it was just something he saw as an accomplishment.

Her hand absently moved to his arm, touching the bulge before tracing the thin lines of his tattoo with her fingernails.

"You think I couldn't handle you anymore? Do you still do after feeling that?" he asked before slowly letting his arm down again, chuckling when she sighed in frustration.

Although her sexual drive had slowed down a little bit, she still couldn't get enough of him. She loved watching him work out in their small fitness room when he was home. She liked how beads of perspiration covered his body, always sending chills up and down in spine. She loved everything about him. He was perfect. Not like her.

"So, would you let me make you feel good?" he asked when she remained silent, absolutely sure that she exactly knew what she was referring to.

She released his thick dark hair from the tie that was keeping it in a ponytail, running her hand through it while looking deep into his eyes.

"I'm sure you're hungry for some wild and animalistic sex, but...," she started but trailed off when he put a finger over her lips.

"But you want it gentle today? That's fine with me. I actually feel like making love to you this time. But promise me to relax and enjoy without thinking about the way you look or whatever. You're beautiful, Karolina. You're beautiful in every way possible, you hear me?" he asked, looking at her intently and smiling at her when she nodded her head.

Maybe he needed to ask Seth to tell his girl every day that she was wonderful. She deserved to know just how amazing she was. _If he only knew how amazing Seth thought Karolina really was...  
_  
He opened the loop of her sweatpants, pushing them down quickly while still sitting in front of her, his face close to her still clothed mound. But he had to change these circumstances. He needed her to be naked, he wanted to see every inch of her beautiful body.

He grabbed the waistband of her purple lace panties, pulling them down until they dangled around her ankles.

"Step out of them," he demanded, his voice huskily and deep.

He wouldn't have to tell her twice as she instantly did what she was told, her heartbeat immediately quickening as soon as she looked into his eyes which were reflecting pure lust and desire.

Without needing him to tell her what he wanted her to do next, she had already taken off her shirt, letting it fall to the ground carelessly before he skilfully unhooked her bra with one of his hands, slowly pushing the straps over her shoulder until the piece of lingerie fell into his lap.

Now there she was. In all her glory. And he didn't lie when he said she was beautiful. He had been with a whole lot of women before, but nobody would ever come close to her. She was what he liked to call perfection. Although he knew there was no such thing, she was the closest there was to it. While she was devastated by every pound she was gaining, it was something he thought made her even sexier. Maybe it was his Samoan heritage but he had no interest in skinny, flat-breasted women. He loved feeling his women. He was a big guy and he wanted to have his hands full when he touched a girl.

He looked her up and down, mesmerizing each and every inch of her body as it was the last time he would ever be able to see her. The way her skin was covered in goose bumps was a sign for him that she was excited and aroused for what was about to happen. Two weeks had been a long time for them. He would lie if he said he hadn't masturbated. And although he felt bad and dirty for it, he even did it while looking at pictures of her.

He quickly licked his lips before lifting his right hand, moving it in between her legs and lightly touching her clit with his thumb, slowly and softly rubbing it. Her whole body quivered but he didn't even notice. His eyes were fixed on the swollen bundle of nerves he was teasing, making his cock react immediately as it started to harden when he thought about the way he would be feeling when he was inside of her.

He let go of her again, earning a frustrated sigh from her when he did so, but she would soon understand why he was doing it.

He grabbed her ass and pushed her crotch closer to his face, keeping her in place with one hand before she could move back again.

He looked up at her and met her gaze before sticking out his hot tongue and letting it slide over her clit which sent chills up and down her spine. She dug her nails into the skin of his shoulder, steadying herself before she would collapse. He spread her lips with his fingers so that he had better access to her hard nub, circling it fully with his lips and sucking on it gently which made her moan out loud. He continued to look at her while he sucked and licked her clit, letting it go with a popping noise before pleasing her with his tongue again. He now let go of her ass, using his free hand to tease her entrance, guiding his fingers along her wetness before suddenly plunging a finger into her slit folds, making her yelp and tense up before adding another finger and pumping in and out of her while at the same time still pleasuring her with his skilled mouth.

"Somebody really must have missed me. You're dripping wet, babygirl," he whispered in between licks, feeling how she was trying to move her hips against the movements of his fingers but he wouldn't let her.

He could tell just how ready she was for him. She probably wouldn't have needed foreplay but he wouldn't go without it. He wanted to take his time and pleasure her in every way possible. He didn't even want anything in return. He was fine with only giving and not receiving. But he knew she wouldn't let that happen. She had once admitted that she liked sucking him off. It must have been the first time a girl had ever told him that. But then again she couldn't believe him when he said that he liked licking her. So they were even.

He removed his fingers again, just teasing her entrance by only pushing them inside of her very slightly. He knew he was driving her crazy. And as much as it was killing her, she liked the sweet torture. Especially when he used his tongue to full capacity and let it slide over her swollen nub very slowly.

"How about we give your cock some freedom? I bet you must be aching," she said, stopping him in his movements with her words.

She must have been close or she wouldn't have stopped him. He knew that as much as she loved cumming when he pleasured her orally, it sometimes wouldn't work for her to have another orgasm with him inside of her afterwards. And she enjoyed these orgasms a lot more as she felt closer to him in these moments.

He nodded his head and tried to get up but she pushed him down by the shoulders before cautiously trying to get on her knees. Something he didn't like one bit.

"Babe, you're not going to be on your knees while doing this. I don't want you to feel uncomfy," he tried to reason, knowing that with her baby bump some positions were just not enjoyable for her.

"Hush. I'm fine. It's uncomfy whether being pregnant or not, so let me do my job and stop complaining," she said sternly before unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants.

She looked up at him, signalling him to lift his hips so that she could pull down his jeans, freeing him from his boxer briefs at the same time.

She stared at his throbbing length in awe, clasping her hand around it and stroking it gently and agonizingly slow at first before sticking out her tongue and licking away the precum that had built on its head. He looked down at her, swallowing hard when he watched how her tongue piercing circled his hard member. He had never had a girlfriend with a tongue piercing before and now he knew how much he had missed something like that back then. She was doing things to him he thought weren't even possibly. And if she continued like that, he would soon cum and he didn't care if it was in her mouth or all over her face. But he had to remain focused. This wasn't about raw sex, this was about making love and he was sure that cumming all over her wasn't an act of love at all. Her head bobbed up and down frantically, her hand supporting her movements and intensifying the pleasure she was giving him with her warm and wet mouth. And then there was that look in her big blue eyes when she was sucking him. She looked so innocent and so unbelievably sexy at the same time.

"Babe...you need to stop...," he panted before grabbing a fistful of her hair and gently pushing her away so she would let go of him.

He would need to talk to her about that cumming all over her face thing soon because he so needed to do this or he was going to explode. But he was sure she would be willing to do it. After all he had also spanked her, right?

"How about we use that armchair over there?" he asked while motioning to the one that was standing in the far corner of the room next to their closet.

She just nodded her head with a smile on her face while he helped her up to a standing position so that they could make their way over to the other end of the room.

He sat down and got comfortable, spreading his legs slightly but not too much so that her own legs had enough space next to his body. He extended both of his hands to her, holding her when she moved each leg to the left and the right of his hips so that she could sit in his lap astride. She now placed her hands on his well-toned chest, feeling his hands on her ass, grabbing her tightly and pushing her down gently so that she would finally lower herself on his rock-hard erection. She took him in inch by inch, the sensations they both were feeling making them almost dizzy.

"God, I'm home," he said breathlessly, closing his eyes and enjoying to the fullest that he was buried deep inside of her.

Karo didn't move for a few short moments. She never wanted this feeling to stop. The feeling of them being united again. He was her perfect fit. He was made for her. She knew it every time he would enter her wetness. A wetness meant only for him and no one else. Especially not Seth.

She pressed her forehead against his when she finally started moving, both of them almost eye-level in the sitting position they were in. He knew that this was something she considered making love. It meant being close to him, being able to look into his eyes and feel their bodies pressed against one another. It was about gentle touches and sweet kisses. It just was about the love they were having for each other.

They soon found a steady rhythm, her hips rolling effortlessly while he met her movements with his own thrusts, both of their breaths shallow. She cupped his cheek with her hand and pressed her lips onto his softly while he ran his hands up and down her back, making her whole body quiver. She grabbed his arms and took his hand into hers, guiding them to her breasts and showing him that she needed him to give them some attention. He kneaded them softly before breaking their kiss so that he could bend down a little to nibble on her hardened nipples, making her moan even louder. Unfortunately she had to get rid of her nipple piercing due to her pregnancy but it didn't stop him from giving them some extra love.

"I'm close, baby," she said after another 15 minutes of passionate lovemaking, both of them surprised they were able to last that long.

But each and every time one of them was about to cum, they would slow down and stay still for a few moments before continuing again. But this time they wouldn't stop. Roman was just as close as she was and he badly needed a release now.

"Let loose, babygirl. Cum for me," he encouraged her while thrusting up into her more forcefully, feeling his own orgasm approaching.

Her moans became louder, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his skin. She was about to lose it. She wanted to finally let go. Her walls started tightening around his cock, signalling him that she was about to orgasm. As soon as he felt the familiar pulsating around his throbbing length and hearing her scream his name, he stopped holding back and fell over the edge as well, roaring and moaning loudly at the intense pleasure he was feeling.

She collapsed on top of him, wrapping her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her midsection. They were both trying to catch their breaths, not wanting to come down from their high but they eventually did. Unfortunately.

"That was wonderful," she said when her mind wasn't clouded anymore, straightening up a little so that she could look at him again.

"It was indeed. And you seem to be a little more relaxed now," he said and winked at her, a small lump forming in her throat.

There were these thoughts about Seth and the kiss again. She felt like she had cheated on Roman although she really hadn't. It didn't stop her from feeling guilty though.

"I'm always relaxed when you're with me," she whispered before placing a sweet kiss on his lips.

He could feel how their mixed juices were dripping out of her, something that made them both uncomfortable. She slowly got up and quickly handed him a Kleenex from his bedside table, helping him to clean up.

"But Seth's with you, babygirl. I'm sure he makes you feel good as well," he replied, not even knowing how true this might be.

He didn't even mean it in a suggestive way. He just meant this because he was sure that Seth was good company while he was gone. He was her best friend after all.

Or was he more than just that?


	17. Did that really happen?

**I'm pretty sure you're all gonna hate me one day for this story. I still hope you enjoy though.**

**Thanks to all of my wonderful readers, supporters and reviewers. You guys are so awesome. You will never know just how much.**

**Now enjoy & review :)**

Chapter 17: Did that really happen?

A lot of things had changed in the past three weeks. Thankfully Seth had decided not to mention the kiss anymore. Neither in front of Karo nor in front of Roman, much to her relief. He hadn't even tried making another move on her which made her think things over. Maybe it really had only been an accident. Maybe this kiss had just happened without a special reason. Things like that happened. Even between best friends.

She was glad that things between her and Seth were going smoothly again. With each week passing by, she struggled more with the fact that Roman was gone so often. One or two days just weren't enough for her. She missed him dearly. Maybe this was the reason she needed Seth more than ever now.

Soon she would be in the seventh month of her pregnancy and things were becoming more and more exhausting for her. Grocery shopping itself was a challenge. Fortunately Seth was able to walk without his crutches again. He had made a lot of progress recently and his knee was healing quickly. He was therefore able to help her more in the household which was very important to her.

"Lay down, sweetie. Come on," Seth said, his hands wrapped around her tightly so that she wouldn't fall.

In the last few days she had been feeling extremely dizzy. To an extent that she even got panic attacks which was dangerous for her baby. Seth had called Roman to tell him about her current state and he had asked him to bring Karo to the doc so that he could check up on her. It had turned out that this was a normal process in her pregnancy and it was nothing to too much worry about. The doc had prescribed her something against iron deficiency and told her to rest more. Something that was difficult as she was always preoccupying herself with something in order to forget that Roman wasn't around.

"God, why doesn't it just stop? I'm so sick of that," she whined while lifting her legs so that Seth could put them on the couch.

"You know what the doc said. You have to rest. And you simply don't. So stop complaining," he grumbled, mad that she was risking her health just because she was missing Roman.

Roman. The man that took away the girl he loved. The man that was supposed to be his best friend. A friend he actually didn't deserve. As much as he had tried staying away from her, with success so far, he couldn't help but miss her. He was still hoping she would one day decide to be with him. He would do everything to win her heart. And he was on a good way. Letting her think that he would back down, she started trusting him again. She now believed that the kiss wasn't intentionally. Although it really was. He wanted this. He wanted this as much as she did, but she still wouldn't understand this. Not yet.

"Ugh, you know I can't keep still. It's not my fault," she mumbled, closing her eyes and relaxing when Seth started massaging her ankles.

She was about to hit the third trimester of her pregnancy and things started getting worse again. Apart from the almost permanent dizziness, it was her back that was killing her. Joshua was growing fast and standing for too long was impossible as her ankles and feet would eventually object. And although she wasn't crazy about constantly wanting to have sex anymore, she needed love. She needed a shoulder to cry on when she felt exhausted and annoyed, she needed someone to wrap their arms around her and tell her that everything would be fine. She needed someone to kiss her and hold her close. Someone who would cheer her up whenever she felt useless and ugly. She needed Roman. But Roman wasn't home. As always. And that was devastating.

"That feels good. Don't stop," she whispered before taking a deep breath and placing her hands on her baby bump, caressing it to show her baby that everything was fine and that he needed to stop kicking her.

Joshua had been very active recently. Sometimes you could even see when he kicked her as his little feet would push her skin so intensely that it stretched. His movements didn't hurt, and she actually started crying happy tears when she first saw the imprints of his body parts, but sometimes she just wished he would sleep more often so that she was able to calm down for a minute.

"Is your son trying to get your attention again?" Seth asked with a chuckle, enjoying the closeness between them.

Closeness he had been missing so much. She trusted him again and that also meant that she would let him touch her again. She still wouldn't kiss his cheek though. That probably was too intimate after the incident a few weeks ago. It was tough living under one roof with her when all they kept doing were ignoring each other while at the same time trying to be civil. The tension had finally subsided and he was happy he was having his Karolina back.

"He is. I guess he is missing his daddy just as much as I am," she replied, unintentionally breaking Seth's heart in the process.

But he should have gotten used to this by now. _Roman here, Roman there, Roman everywhere_. He was so annoyed by only hearing his name that he more than once wanted to punch a hole in the wall. But he had to remain calm and focused. It wouldn't help being mad at Roman for something he hadn't even done. After all he wasn't the one to blame for the mess he was in now.

"He will be back in two days. And in just a few weeks he will be back for good," Seth said, giving her a fake smile and rubbing her feet gently.

Roman had decided to take some time off right before the baby would be born. He wouldn't want to miss the birth for anything in the world. And he also wanted to see his little boy grow up. So thankfully Hunter and Stephanie had allowed him to be out for a few short months so that he could be with his family.

"I can't wait for that day to finally come," she admitted, a moan escaping her lips when he started kneading her calves.

_Fucking hell, you need to stop moaning Karolina_, he thought to himself. If she kept doing this, he was sure that just in a matter of a few minutes he would have a massive erection. And that would be anything but a smart move on his part.

"Does this feel good?" he asked in a husky voice, mentally slapping himself for even asking her that question.

He wanted her to stop moaning. He didn't want to press his luck. And what was he doing? He was adding fuel to the fire.

"You will never know just how much," she answered quietly, taking a deep breath and letting Seth do his magic.

In this very moment she had never thought about his touches being in any sexual kind of way. He was just trying to help her to relax and he was doing a good damn job at it. But for Seth this was so much more than just that. It was the most intimate moment they had shared in a long time.

"Fuck," she suddenly mumbled, moving slightly so that he had to let go of her. "I have to pee."

Seth rolled his eyes annoyed, not believing that her bladder decided right in THAT moment that it needed to empty itself. It ruined everything. She was starting to be putty in his hands and now he'd have to start all over again.

"Shall I accompany you?" he asked, worried that she would faint when he wasn't around.

"I guess I'll be able to pee on my own, but thanks," she said and giggled, cupping his cheek with one hand and smiling at him sweetly.

She was so happy that she could touch him again without having to worry about anything. The kiss had long been forgotten. Maybe not in their heads but it was something they simply wouldn't talk about anymore.

He watched her as she made her way to the bathroom, starting to make his own way into the kitchen after seeing her close the door as he was in desperate need for a beer. His whole body was heated up after touching her. _And those moans. Those damn moans_.

In one fell swoop he got rid of his shirt, hanging it over one of the barstools before finally grabbing a beer out of the fridge. It felt good to have the cold meet his hot body, maybe it would cool him down a little bit.

"What are you doing there?" she asked with a chuckle when she saw him bent down with his face stuck in the fridge.

"Uhm...getting a beer. I would ask you if you wanted one but I doubt you would take one," he answered, slightly embarrassed that she caught him in this situation.

"Thanks. Maybe in about two months we can get shitfaced again," she answered before somehow managing to hop onto the kitchen counter and getting comfortable.

She couldn't help but look him over from head to toe. The first thing she had noticed when she had entered the kitchen was the fact that he was shirtless. Damn he looked fine. He was able to train his upper body while his knee was out of order. It definitely showed.

"How are the ankles? Better?" he asked, taking a sip of his beer and placing it on the counter next to her. He moved closer and stood in front of her, grabbing one of her legs gently and massaging her ankles again.

"A lot. Your hands are magic," she said, running a shaky hand through her hair and licking her suddenly dry lips nervously.

She almost started to panic, scared about the fact that she was once again feeling like this. What was Seth doing to her? Why did she enjoy this so much that she could feel that she was slowly getting wet? That was wrong. It was so wrong. But she just couldn't help it. His soft hands felt so good on her skin. He was so gentle, so careful...

"Well, they can do a lot more than just that," he said, winking at her with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Oh really? And what would that be?" she asked, immediately regretting that she had just asked him that.

What was she doing? Was she really flirting with him? Was she seriously letting him get that close to her again? This was a mistake. A huge mistake. But she couldn't think straight anymore. She just couldn't. Her brain was out of order and she had no control over her reactions and feelings anymore.

He let go of her legs and stepped closer to her, spreading her legs slightly so that he could move in between them. She swallowed hard when he placed his hands on her thighs, roaming all over them while looking deep into her eyes.

"Are you sure you really wanna know?" he asked, the look in his eyes reflecting pure determination and lust.

He was close. He was so close. He almost had her where he needed her, where he wanted her. She would finally give in. He could feel it. He could see it. Her whole body was covered in goose bumps and through the thin fabric of her shirt he even noticed that her nipples had hardened. Seeing this sent all the blood he needed in his brain to his crotch, making his cock hard.

"Yes," she said, very quietly and almost inaudible.

She had lost it. She had lost all the control that was left in her. She couldn't and wouldn't fight him anymore. She needed to feel him. She wanted to taste him and please him. She just needed someone to make her feel good. She would want it to be Roman but he was far away. She felt horribly for thinking this way but she had lost all of her strength to resist Seth anymore.

Seth kept staring at her, not sure if he should really do it. She wasn't in her right state of mind and it wasn't fair using this for his own advantage. But then again he knew that this might be his last chance. If he didn't take it now, he would one day regret it.

"Show me, Seth," she pleaded, lifting one hand and guiding it to his chest and letting it slide down to his abs, tracing them slightly with her fingernails which made him even harder.

That was his cue. It was his cue to take the next step. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. He felt horrible. He couldn't get Roman out of his head and it ruined everything. Finally there was this moment of her becoming weak and he didn't have the courage to kiss her.

Both of her hands suddenly cupped his face, making him look at her by lifting his head. They just stared into each other's eyes for endless moments, the tension in the air almost tangible. No words had to be spoken. Nothing would stop them now. Nothing.

Her eyes left his and fixed on his full, plump lips. She knew exactly how they felt on hers and she wanted to feel it again. She wanted to kiss him. She needed it.

She swallowed hard and took a deep breath before finally having the courage to slowly bend down and softly press her lips on his. He groaned at their touch, not being able to fathom that it was her kissing him this time. She was the one starting all of this. It almost made his heart explode in his chest. It was finally happening.

She licked his bottom lip lightly, urging him to open his mouth which he gladly did in a matter of just a few seconds. As soon as their tongues touched, fireworks ignited in his body and sent chills up and down his spine. She moaned into his mouth while grabbing the back of his head and pushing him even closer to her, their tongues dancing with each other gently before fighting for dominance. It was a heated and passionate kiss which made them both breathless. But they wouldn't stop. This felt too good to be true. It felt so good that Karolina could feel that her wetness was soaking her panties. She should feel bad for it but how could she even think straight when she couldn't even form a coherent sentence in that very moment. And it didn't help that his hands had moved from her thighs to her ass where he was firmly squeezing her. Her hands were buried in his two-toned hair now, grabbing a fistful of it and not letting him go just one bit.

Seth was aching. His cock was so hard that it almost hurt. He wanted to be inside of her. He didn't care how. He had never had sex with a pregnant woman before but he would take her from behind or simply fuck her on this kitchen counter. He just wanted to feel her warm wetness around his cock and finally let loose.

He would be doing something he had wanted to do for a very long time. His hands made their way to her front again, slightly caressing her sides before cupping her breasts and kneading them gently. He was in heaven. They felt exactly like he had imagined them to. He had dreamed about this moment for months and now he was feeling them. They were soft but yet firm and big enough that he couldn't cup them with his hand completely. She bit his bottom lip when he started rubbing her nipples through her shirt, another soft moan escaping her lips from the pleasure he was giving her.

He pressed his body even closer to hers and pushed his erection against her soaked panties so that she could feel what she was doing to him. And that was when it happened. That was the moment that made her wake up, that brought her back to reality.

As soon as she felt his hard cock rubbing against her clothed mound, she realized that this was wrong. This wasn't Roman. This was Seth. A rush of guilt washed over her when she thought about what had just happened. She was about to have sex with another man. A man she called her best friend. A man her fiancé called best friend. She would have let him fuck her. She knew that this wasn't an act of love. She had wanted to do this so that he could make her feel good. That made things even worse. She would have slept with him only to be satisfied and have an orgasm. She wanted someone close to her. Someone to show her that she was desirable.

She pushed him away gently, closing her legs and hopping off of the kitchen counter so that she could run away. But Seth wouldn't let her. He grabbed her by the wrist and spun her around so that she had to face him.

"Don't run Karolina. Stay here. I know you want this," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

She swallowed hard when she caught a glimpse of the tent in his pants, tears building in her eyes when she realized that she had almost cheated on the love of her life. She wanted to get away from Seth but he didn't let her go.

"I know it. Don't lie to me. Don't lie to yourself," he panted, closing the distance between them.

"Seth, please, stop it. This is a mistake. This shouldn't have happened. I...I don't know what's happening right here. Please just let me go. I need some time to think," she pleaded, silent tears streaming down her face.

He looked at her intently and knew that he would have to let her leave. She wouldn't want this anymore. He had no idea why she had changed her mind so quickly but he had no strength to think about that. He was hurt. He felt rejected. He was so close. And now he had ruined everything. He knew that this had been his last chance, and he had fucked up.

He let go of her and watched as she ran up the stairs. He wanted to scream at her that she had to be careful. She was carrying a baby after all. He sure as hell didn't want her to fall and hurt herself...or Joshua for that matter. But she wouldn't listen. She would run and slam the bedroom door shut behind her, locking it quickly.

Seth stood in the kitchen stunned and dumbfounded. He had no idea what to do. Should he try to go upstairs and talk to her? Or should he leave her alone? He looked down at himself and shook his head before letting out a frustrated sigh. He would have to get rid of his erection himself again, as always.

"Seth?" she said, interrupting his thoughts and surprising him by her appearance. "Please just do me one favour and don't tell Roman. I beg you. Let this be our little secret."

He looked at her with a straight face, thinking about her words carefully. Maybe she was right. Maybe nobody should know about this. Now that he was sure that they wouldn't have a future together, he might as well want to keep his friendship to Roman.

"I can't promise anything but I try," he said quietly, taking a deep breath when he saw that she had changed clothes, her purse squeezed under her armpit. "Where are you going?"

"I need to get some fresh air. I need to get..." she started but he stopped her instantly.

"You need to get away from me. I understand. Look, I don't wanna say sorry because I am not. I enjoyed it. Very much, to be honest. But I respect your decision to not take this any further. Maybe we can talk later when we've both calmed down. Take care of yourself, ok?" he said, ending his little monologue.

She just nodded her head and left the kitchen to get out of the house as fast as she could. She jumped into the car and drove off, not really having a destination in mind but she would end up somewhere.

After 10 minutes of driving around aimlessly, she stopped her car in a parking lot in front of a supermarket and took out her cell phone. She needed to talk to someone. She had to get this off of her chest. And who would be better to listen to her than Shannon?

She dialled her friend's number and was relieved when she finally heard her cheerful voice.

"Karo, babe, what's up?" she asked, the happiness in her voice unmistakable.

"Are you alone, Shan?" she immediately questioned, hoping that she would be able to talk to her without Dean nearby.

"Yeah, Dean and Roman are in the gym. What's up, sweetie? You sound stressed," she said, frowning slightly.

"What did you do when Gavin told you he loved you?" she asked bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush.

"Karolina, what the fuck happened?" Shannon countered, sensing that this wasn't just a question out of curiosity.

"Seth happened," she simply said, sighing heavily and running a hand through her long blonde hair.

"For fuck's sake, just spill the beans," she answered, quickly becoming impatient with her best friend.

"Promise me not to tell anybody. Don't judge me. Don't hate me. Just listen and be my friend, ok?" she pleaded, hoping that she could trust her.

"You have my word. Now get it all out," she replied, suspecting the worst.

"Okay, here we go. So, a few weeks ago, right before the PPV, Roman called to let me know he wouldn't make it back home for another few days. I was heartbroken and needed someone to comfort me. So I asked Seth to spend the night with me. Not even in a sexual kind of way. I just wanted him to be there with me so I wouldn't feel alone," she started to explain, sighing heavily when she thought about all of these moments again.

"He fucked you," Shannon said, not believing what her friend was just telling her.

"No, he didn't. Let me finish, goddammit. We cuddled and talked and...yeah...I really don't know how it happened but he kissed me," she continued, stopping for a moment to wait for another reaction from her friend.

But there was none. There was an uncomfortable silence between them and Karo was afraid that she had somehow disappointed Shannon.

"Well, I tried to ignore him as much as I could but that was difficult considering we were practically living together. After a few weeks things got back to normal and I was convinced that kiss was just an accident. I mean, my hormones are pretty much fucked up and things like that can happen, right? Well, you know what? I was wrong. I was so damn wrong," she explained, another wave of tears building in her eyes. "Shannon, about half an hour ago I almost had sex with my best friend."

Shannon swallowed hard, not sure if she understood her correctly. She never had any idea that Seth or Karolina had feelings for each other. No matter what kind of feelings that were, they almost had sex and that was a statement.

"Carry on, Karolina. I'm all ears," Shannon said, encouraging her friend to keep going because she knew there was more behind it.

"He started massaging my ankles and feet earlier. You know I've been feeling horrible recently and he wanted to help me to relax. Well, I was so relaxed that I had to pee and when I came back he was in the kitchen, grabbing a beer. And he was shirtless. Well, one thing led to another and I was sitting on the kitchen counter with him standing in between my legs. We had a huge makeout session with a whole lot of touching and caressing...until I felt his erection rubbing against my crotch. That's when I stopped him," she said, finally ending her explanation and relieved that it was finally out.

"Did you enjoy it, Karo?" Shannon simply asked without getting into more detail. She was sure her question was understandable.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, not really sure where her friend was going with this.

"Did you like that he touched you? Did you enjoy his kisses?" she kept asking before taking a breath and just being brutally honest. "Did he make you wet?"

Karo remained silent for a few moments, contemplating if it would be wise to tell Shannon the truth but what else was there left to lose?

"Yeah...yes...he made me wet. And I hate myself for it," she admitted, tears now streaming down her face while her whole body shook with sobs.

"Don't. It's okay, sweetie. You stopped him. That's all that matters. You did NOT have sex with him. You didn't cheat on Roman. Look, you have to think about what you wanna do. Do you want him to stay with you? Do you want him to go back to Iowa?" she asked, knowing that these were a lot of questions for her friend to answer but she had to make up her mind.

"I honestly don't know, Shan. I only know that I regret it. I just hope Roman will never know," she answered, her voice shaky.

"I won't tell him. I promise. Look, why don't you just go to the beach and enjoy some alone-time? You have to think things through and maybe tonight you have calmed down enough to make a decision. You can call me whenever you want. I'm here for you, sweetie," she said, hoping that her advice would help her friend at least a little.

She exactly knew how Karo felt. She had been in the same situation with Dean and Gavin. Thankfully she wasn't pregnant back then.

"Thanks, hun. That means a lot to me. I'll get back to you later, k?" Karo replied, a little more relieved now, before ending the phone call shortly afterwards.

"Who was that?" Dean asked out of nowhere, startling Shannon so that she almost threw her phone in the air.

"Karo," she replied, putting her cell phone back into her pocket and watching him throw his gym bag into the corner of the room.

"How's she?" he asked, sitting down next to her on the bed and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Shannon debated whether to tell him or not but she decided to go for it. He was her boyfriend and she trusted him. He wasn't into gossip much anyways so she knew he would keep it to himself.

"She and Seth...uhm...they almost had sex," she said, turning her head slightly to be able to look into his eyes.

"No fucking way. Seth likes banging pregnant chicks?" he asked, looking at her wide-eyed in shock.

"Dean, please, could you just be serious for a minute? That is actually a huge thing. They both more or less betrayed Roman, and Karo feels horrible now," she explained after slapping his arm slightly.

"Well, what means 'almost' anyways? Did they fuck or didn't they?" he asked impatiently, hating that she was beating around the bush.

"She stopped him before it was too late. It's shocking though that all of this actually happened," she said, sighing heavily when thinking about the dilemma her pregnant friend was.

"That's just awkward. But hey, none of our business, right? I think I might as well bang you if Seth wasn't able to do the job," he said and pushed her down on her back, hovering over her before biting her neck.

What an insatiable son of a bitch he was. Hopefully he wasn't too stuffed with gossip that he would blurt some of it out, right?


	18. Guilt feeling can make you sick

**Okay, now you're not only mad at Seth but Karo as well. At least you're not mad at me lol**

**Well, there's another chapter for you which you'll hopefully enjoy.**

**This is the calm before the storm, ladies and gentlemen.**

**Thanks to you all for supporting me with this story:**

**ShannonTheAwesomeOne, pezziecoyote, mrsrkoshield, melzabelza, rrsexybeast, InsaneCaliGurl, DeeMarie426, Shannon5288,** **DaShadowAngel and all the other great people that read and review.**

**Now enjoy & review :)**

Chapter 18: Guilt feeling can make you sick

Karolina had been gone for more than nine hours and Seth was starting to worry. She wouldn't answer his text messages nor would she pick up the phone whenever he tried to call. He knew he had fucked up things, but he was just hoping that she wouldn't do anything stupid. He could never forgive himself if something happened to her or the baby.

He had been thinking a lot over the last few hours. But he hadn't been able to come to a conclusion. He couldn't stop loving her just like that. It was impossible. But he knew for sure that she didn't love him back the way he loved her. And that hurt. He had a hard time accepting that things would never be the same again. But in the end it was his own fault. He should have never tried making a move on her. And even if it was her that kissed him this time, he felt still responsible for the whole mess they were in now.

He jumped when he heard the front door opening. He was so deep in thought that he completely forgot that the world was still moving. Even though he wished he could stop it.

He looked at her quickly and immediately knew that she had been crying. A lot. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes blood-shot. He felt even more horrible now.

"Hey Seth," she said quietly, stopping for a few moments before making her way over to him and sitting down next to him on the couch.

He didn't know what to say. He was speechless. He didn't want to make things worse and decided that he would let her talk before he fucked up even more. She stared at her hands which were folded in her lap, both of them keeping a comfortable distance between them so that they wouldn't touch each other accidentally.

"We need to talk," she just said and finally looked at him, seeing the hurt in his eyes which made everything so much more difficult.

Why didn't he say anything? It killed her that he remained silent. She had no idea what was going through his mind and she hated that.

"Seth, this shouldn't have happened. It was a mistake, it was wrong. We both know that," she started, taking a deep breath and turning her head a little to be able to look directly into his eyes.

He broke the eye-contact as soon as she had said those words. He knew she would say them, but it still broke his heart into a million pieces. _Hope dies last_, he thought to himself. But now that it died, what was there left to say anyways?

"Please...say something, Seth. I don't care what it is, please just talk to me," she pleaded, looking at him teary-eyed.

He buried his head into his hands, sighing heavily and swallowing hard before he finally had the courage to look back at her and speak up.

"What do you expect me to say now, Karo? I'm confused. I don't know how you feel or what you think. I've been sitting here all day, worrying about you because you didn't even give me a fucking sign that you're still alive and now you're here and want to talk?" he asked, the reproach in his voice unmistakable.

"I'm sorry..." she said meekly, knowing that she should have at least texted him that she was fine.

"No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a shitty friend. I'm sorry for trying to seduce you. What kind of person am I? What have I become? I was seriously trying to get into the pants of my best friend's pregnant fiancée. The woman I call my best friend. What the fuck is wrong with me?" he said through gritted teeth, even more mad at himself after realizing what he had done.

"This is not your fault alone, Seth," she tried to reason, not wanting him to feel bad about it.

Yes, she was angry that all of this had happened. But it wasn't all about him. She shouldn't have kissed him back in the first place. She was just as deep into this as he was. She didn't want him to take all the blame for something they had both done.

"It is, Karolina. Stop pretending that it's not," he countered with tears building in his eyes.

"Why?" she simply asked after a few moments, her hand searching his and squeezing it gently. "Why did all of his happen?"

Seth swallowed hard. Did she really want to know? Should he be honest with her and put their friendship at stake? But she probably already knew. She had to. It was way too obvious.

"It happened because I love you," he whispered, tightening the grip on her hand.

The tears he had been fighting were now streaming down his face. He knew that those three simple words would change everything between them. It would not only ruin their friendship but he knew that he would lose Roman as a friend as well.

"I love you too, but...whoa, wait a minute. What do you mean by that?" she asked confused, not sure if she had understood him correctly.

She had to be kidding him. Nobody could tell him that she seriously had no clue that he had feelings for her. Her hormones must have made her blind because for him it was very obvious that he acted like a guy who wanted more than just friendship.

"I love you, Karolina. For me this is more than just friendship. I want you. In every way possible. I want to hold you in my arms, I wanna kiss you, I wanna make love to you, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I wish I was the father of that baby. I'm mad at Roman for being the man you love. I know this is absolutely ridiculous and I can understand if you want to kick me out and never want to see me again. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for loving you and I hate myself for it. I don't know what else to do but apologize. I can't undo it. I actually wish I could so that we could still be friends but I know that it's too late," he explained, feeling relieved that he finally confessed his love to her but at the same time being afraid of her reaction.

She looked at him confused for a few moments before eventually breaking down in tears. Her body was shaking as she was sobbing uncontrollably. And the worst thing of it all? Seth had no idea if he should wrap his arms around her to calm her down. Was he the one that was supposed to comfort her? Wasn't he the one that needed her support now?

"How long? How long has this been going on?" she asked in between sobs, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Since the very minute those pregnancy tests showed that you're having a baby," he answered truthfully, not one bit surprised that confusion was written all over her face.

"But why? I don't understand. I mean...wouldn't that be a sign for someone to give up? Why then?" she questioned, not understanding how he could fall in love with her after finding out she was having another man's baby.

"I don't know. I wish I did. Maybe I've already loved you for a lot longer before but it just became apparent to me when this happened. But hey, it doesn't really matter now..." he said but trailed off.

"Yes, it does matter now. How do you think we keep going from now on? Do you want to act as if nothing's happened? We've done that before and now see where we ended up," she tried to reason, not wanting to accept that things would end like that.

"I was thinking that you would kick me out and never want to see me again," he confessed, looking at her unsure.

"Yeah, 'cause that's so easy with Roman being your best friend and me returning in a few months," she said and rolled her eyes, her tears finally subsiding.

"Uhm...you...you won't tell Roman?" he stuttered, looking at her hopefully.

"Sure I'll tell him. Then he can kick both our asses for betraying him and that's something I really want," she said sarcastically. "Seth, I love him and I don't want him to know that any of this happened. I'm sure it's also in your interest that he doesn't know. Or do you want to lose him as a friend?"

"I've lost you, I might as well lose him. I don't deserve his friendship anyways," he said, a few single tears streaming down his face.

"You haven't lost me. I'm still here with you. And I don't want you to leave. I know this might be the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life but I want you to stay here with me. I don't wanna be alone. Maybe it's selfish and maybe I just wanna pretend that we're cool so that we can carry on like we used to. I don't know...but...would you stay?" she asked, looking at him expectantly with her heart beating fast in her chest.

He looked at her disbelievingly for what felt like an eternity. She wanted him to stay. She really wanted to spend more time with him. She hadn't clearly said that she didn't love him back but he knew by the words she had said that she had no romantic feelings towards him. He had to accept it. He had to live with that, even though he had no idea how to do so.

"I would love to. But...how are we gonna do this? I still love you and that won't change in a matter of a few days," he said, not wanting to risk that they would really throw away what they had established already.

He was relieved that she had decided to give him another chance. And he was more than thankful that she wouldn't tell Roman about it. He knew she wanted to save her own ass, but at the same time she didn't want him to get his ass kicked.

"No more kisses, no more touches, no flirting, no nothing. We're gonna be Karolina and Seth. Just like the way we have been when we started becoming friends. You have to promise me not to try anything again. And we both have to trust each other and promise that we won't tell Roman," she said before extending her hand with a weak smile on her face. "Deal?"

He took a deep breath and looked at her intently. She was serious about this. She wanted him to stay and he wasn't sure if this was such a good idea. It would be torture for him to spend time with her without getting too close. It would be hard for him to accept that he had lost her. Although she said he hadn't, he knew he had. Because nothing would ever be the same again.

"Deal," he finally said and shook her hand firmly, a lump forming in his throat.

It was settled then. They would stay with each other, keeping a secret that would hopefully remain between them. A secret that could ruin everything they cherished when it came out. And he was afraid that one day one of them would spill it all out.

**…**

"I have no idea how to act towards him," Seth said truthfully, his right leg shaking nervously and driving Karo insane.

"Just relax and try to be the friend you've always been and it'll be all good," she answered, swallowing hard when she thought about the fact that Roman could arrive any minute.

The last two days had been difficult. It had been an awkward situation between both of them and they had a hard time adjusting themselves. Things were completely different now and once in a while they unconsciously reverted to old behaviour patterns. It had happened more than once that he kissed her cheek or wrapped his arms around her waist. She was especially thin-skinned when he touched her baby bump.

They both tensed up when they heard the closing of the front door, knowing that Roman had finally arrived. They looked at each other briefly and nodded their heads before Karo got up and made her way over to where her fiancé would stand in just a few short seconds.

"Babygirl," he said with his deep, soft voice before he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so glad I'm finally back. I missed you."

Karo was about to cry when he said those words. She felt guilty about what had happened. He was the one who was touring the world with thousands of sexy and beautiful women around him constantly but he at least kept his dick in his pants while she shared some intimate moments with their best friend.

"I missed you too and..." she started but trailed off when she couldn't help but burst out crying.

She had tried her hardest to retain her composure but it just wouldn't work. All those feelings were overwhelming her and she had no idea how to deal with them other than to cry. She felt guilty, weak, happy, relieved, sad and heartbroken all at the same time. Here was the man that loved her with everything he had. The man who was the father of her unborn child and she acted as if the world was a happy place and everything was fine.

"Hey...what's wrong? Why are you crying? It's all good, babygirl. I'm here," he said in a soothing tone, caressing her back and kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry. It's...it's just that I really missed you a lot and things are becoming very exhausting at the moment," she explained, telling him half of the truth.

"Maybe you need to rest more, honey. Hey Seth, I thought you took good care of my girl," he called at his friend who was sitting on the couch in the far corner of the room.

"I did, dude. But you know she can't sit on her ass for two minutes straight," Seth replied with a fake smile on his face.

_If you only knew how well I've taken care of your girl_, he thought to himself. He watched as his best friend approached him and slowly stood up, fist-bumping him and hugging him quickly. Hopefully Roman couldn't feel how fast his heart was beating in his chest. It would probably give away that something was wrong.

"Man, you wouldn't believe what happened last week. Punk bitch-slapped Swagger in the middle of the hallway in front of half the roster for grabbing JoJo's ass. I mean, I have no idea why he would defend the kiddo but hey...it was funny as fuck," he said, holding his belly while laughing his ass off. "You should have seen Jack's face. Oh my god."

"Well, he deserves to get his ass kicked anyways," Seth said with a smile before continuing. "I really miss being on tour with you guys."

"Now come on, don't tell me it's that bad to spend time with my babygirl," he said while turning his head towards her. "Do you bother him that much, sweetie?"

Karolina, who was sitting on an armchair opposite of them, smiled at her fiancé weakly before shrugging her shoulders innocently.

"Nah, I enjoy spending time with her...uhm...I mean I'm glad I can be of help. You know she... uh...she's been feeling dizzy a lot recently...so yeah...," he stuttered, mentally slapping himself for being so nervous around his best friend.

"Uhm...yeah," Roman replied, raising an eyebrow at his friend before turning his attention back to Karo. "How have you and Joshua been, babygirl? I've been worrying about you two a lot."

He extended his hand and motioned for her to join him and Seth on the couch which she reluctantly did. She hated being so close to both of them at the same time as she always had the feeling he would sense that things were tense between them. How could he not feel the tension that was in the air with both of them being in the same room?

"I'm better now. The dizziness is slowly subsiding but my back is getting worse. Your son is growing so fast that I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep him in there," she said and placed a hand on her baby bump, smiling when she felt that Joshua was awake. "I think he knows you're here. He's moving around."

She took one of Roman's hands and moved it to her belly so that he could feel the movements as well.

"Do you think he recognizes my voice?" Roman asked curiously, moving his hand under her shirt and caressing her stomach.

"Of course he does. He knows you're his daddy," she said before quickly pulling her shirt down again to cover up which resulted in Roman giving her a confused look but he decided to let it slide for the moment.

"Well, Seth's here a lot more. Hopefully he won't think he's the daddy," he said with a chuckle before kissing her bump softly.

"Don't worry, man. I keep reminding him that I'm just Uncle Seth," Seth explained and slowly got off of the couch. "I'll leave you guys alone now. I'm sure you need some time to yourselves. I wanted to take a walk anyways. My knee needs some training."

"Take care, bro. And don't forget to take your phone with you in case you need us," Roman said before Seth could leave the room, leaving the two lovebirds and parents-to-be alone.

"Is he alright? He seemed...I don't know...he was acting strange," he said with a frown on his face, completely unaware of the circumstances at hand.

"Yeah, he's fine. I guess he becomes a little impatient. He hates sitting around here 24/7 while you guys carry on without him," she said, not lying but also not completely telling the truth.

"Maybe you need to show him some love," he chuckled, not knowing how true his words might be.

Yes, Seth needed for Karo to show him some love. Maybe more than just some. He needed for her to give him her body, soul and heart. But Roman didn't need to know that.

Instead of answering him, she pressed her lips onto his and tried to distract him. Or maybe she even tried to distract herself. This whole situation was so fucked up. She had no idea how she and even Seth would be able to carry on with this. It would be a matter of time until Roman would notice that things between them had changed.

"Hmm, you have no idea how much I missed your kisses," he said before snapping her bottom lip and lightly biting it.

"So there's no one you would kiss while you're gone?" she asked, immediately regretting the question when he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Of course not. Why would I? You're the only one I wanna kiss, babygirl," he replied, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "What's the matter anyways?"

"Uhm...what do you mean?" she asked nervously, her heart about to explode in her chest.

He must have felt it too. She was sure he exactly knew that she was playing games with him. That was it. He got them. They got busted. Now her whole life was crashing down on her.

"Well...why did you cover up so quickly when I wanted to touch your belly? You've never done that before," he said and looked at her intently while it took a load off her mind almost instantly.

"Oh...yeah...that. Uhm...it's pretty ridiculous honestly. And I know you're gonna freak out on me if I tell you," she said, not being able to look into his eyes as she knew that this was something she really shouldn't worry about because it was only normal.

"Spill the beans," he said, looking at her expectantly and watching her when she pushed her shirt up.

"Look at that," she said and pointed to several small marks on her growing baby bump. "Stretch marks. I'm not even close to delivery and they're already there."

Roman looked at them carefully and traced them with his fingers before placing small kisses over them.

"And you really think I would care? Babygirl, that's nothing to be ashamed of. It's only natural," he said reassuringly before pecking her lips quickly.

"It still isn't sexy," she insisted, pouting a little before resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"It doesn't matter. You're still the sexiest woman for me, sweetie. Hey, you'll still love me when I blow up one day, right? You know I won't always look like that when I get older. I'll have fat ass and you're gonna have to love it," he teased and tickled her sides gently, making her laugh and helping her to forget about Seth for a moment.

She was happy that Roman was back. She wished he would stay forever but she knew he would have to go back in two more days. He would leave her and Seth alone again and she wasn't sure if she was looking forward to it. But it didn't matter anyways. It was just as difficult with both of them being around as it was with just Seth being there. Things were and always would be challenging and she had no idea if she would be able to keep this from him forever.

"I'll love you with a fat ass, chubby cheeks and everything that comes with you becoming old. But don't you dare ever have your hair cut, Mister," she threatened, wagging her finger at him playfully.

"Damn, I haven't told you about the appointment I have tomorrow? I'm really sick of my hair and I thought a butch would make things easier. You know it takes me ages to get out of the arena after showering," he teased, trying to keep a straight face but burst out laughing when he saw the shocked expressing on her face.

"That was NOT funny," she mumbled, slapping his arm slightly and sticking out her bottom lip.

"Oh, don't do that. You know I can't contain myself if you keep doing this," he said in a husky voice before licking his lips hungrily.

"Hmm...you're up for some fun?" she asked, giving him her most seductive look while guiding one of her hands in between his legs, softly rubbing his jeans-clothed crotch.

"You bet. Does Seth have a key or does he need to knock on the door to come in?" he asked, kissing her neck and slowly starting to unbutton her shirt.

"He doesn't have keys. We have the house to ourselves," she whispered into his ear while nibbling on his earlobe.

And much to her surprise, he suddenly picked her up with all of his strength and made her wrap her legs around his midsection so that he could carry her to the bedroom. But strangely enough he didn't even make his way to the stairs that would lead to their room, no, he opened the kitchen door absently while he kept kissing her passionately.

"Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly while freeing his hair from the ponytail and letting her hand run through them.

"Everyone can have sex in a bed. I wanna fuck you somewhere else today," he said and gently laid her down on the kitchen counter.

_The kitchen counter._ The place she almost had sex with their best friend. The place that almost ruined everything she had established with both Roman and Seth. Memories of that very moment were running wild through her mind and she suddenly couldn't concentrate on her fiancé anymore. All she could see when she looked at him was Seth.

"Baby...stop...I...I don't...I feel dizzy again...I'm so sorry," she stuttered, trying hard to suppress the tears that were fighting to escape her eyes.

She felt horrible. She probably had never felt more horrible than in this moment. She rejected her own fiancé, the father of her child, just because she was thinking of another man. And it wasn't as if she didn't want him. She wanted Roman. She had missed him dearly and she wanted to feel him, taste him and pleasure him. But it just didn't work. Not now, not there. She wanted to cry so badly. But she couldn't. She had to make sure that he believed her when she said she was dizzy again. And as credulous as he was, he certainly did.

"No worries, baby. I understand. Let me bring you upstairs so that you can have a nap. We can still catch up on it later," he said, giving her a reassuringly smile before kissing her lips sweetly.

She didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve the man that gave her all of his heart. The man that did everything to keep her happy, even if it didn't benefit him. She wasn't good enough for him. He deserved so much better than her. She felt so guilty. She hated herself. More than anyone would ever know. Should she tell him? Or would he find out himself? Maybe somebody would even tell him. Who knew?!


	19. I thought he knew

**Sooo, here I have something for you guys which you probably need to process over the course of the weekend haha**

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Chapter 19: I thought he knew

Roman was lying on one of the sun loungers which were placed around the pool of their hotel resort, his sunglasses covering his eyes which he had closed tightly. He had a day off but couldn't make it back to Pensacola as they were currently in California. He probably would have gone back home if he wouldn't have these interviews in the morning. But he had to fulfil his obligations and he knew that Karolina would understand.

It broke his heart thinking about being away from her. With each week passing by it became more and more difficult to leave her and he could feel that she had a hard time dealing with it as well. He felt especially devastated going back on tour after the last time he had been home. He had the feeling that Karo had changed but he couldn't put a finger on it. They didn't even have sex and that was a big statement right there. But maybe she really just didn't feel like it. He knew that she had felt uncomfortable this time and he accepted that she needed to get used to the changes of her body.

"Hey big man. Mind if I join you?" somebody asked, standing in front of his lounger and waiting for his reaction.

He opened his eyes and slowly pushed down his sunglasses a little to see who was disturbing him. A small smile spreading across his face when he realized that it was Shannon.

"Sure thing. Make yourself comfortable, sweetie," he said, motioning for the empty seat next to him before sitting up so that he could face her. "Where's Dean?"

"In our room. He's been quite moody today so I told him to calm his tits and take a nap," she said dryly, making her Samoan friend laugh heartily.

"He can be a pain in the ass sometimes," Roman admitted, pushing his sunglasses on top of his head so that he could look directly into her eyes.

He absolutely hated it when somebody he was talking to was hiding their eyes behind sunglasses, it was just rude in his opinion.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't want him any other way. You know I love challenges and he's definitely the biggest one I've ever had to face," she said with a chuckle.

She looked at him intently, sensing that he was tense. She could see it by the way he moved and talked. Did he know? No, he probably didn't. Although Roman was a very calm person, she was sure that if he ever found out, he would freak out and throw a tantrum.

"Are you ok, Ro?" she asked with a look of concern on her face.

"Yeah...I am. As much as I can be," he admitted, giving her a weak smile.

He had grown very close to Shannon in the last couple of weeks. He had liked her the moment she had opened the front door of her apartment when they first visited her in San Francisco. But touring with her now, he had started to trust her even more. She was a kind-hearted soul. Although she and Karolina were completely different, physically and in character, they both knew how important it was to trust and be trusted.

"You miss her, don't you?" she asked as if she could read his mind.

He looked so sad. And tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and it broke her heart to see him like that. The big, strong Samoan powerhouse was like a picture of misery. And he didn't even know about Karo and Seth yet...

"I do. And nobody will ever understand just how much. I know she really needs me right now. It's heart-breaking to leave her at the moment. She keeps crying whenever we say goodbye and it makes me feel horrible. She's having a hard time right now. She's gaining a lot of weight and you know how devastated she is whenever she does. Then there is the dizziness, the pain in her back...And I wasn't even able to give her some love... if you know what I mean," he said quietly, not sure if he could talk to her about something like that.

But he trusted that Shannon was a very open-minded and easy-going person. She would be honest with him and keep things to herself if needed. She wasn't a blabbermouth like Dean. One of the many reasons he would never talk to Dean about certain things.

"No sex? Really? Wow...now that's surprising. I mean, we all know how damn horny she's been in the last couple of weeks. Or may I say months. But hey...don't worry about it. It doesn't necessarily mean anything. I know she's been feeling very...uhm...let's say queasy," she said, hoping that he would buy it but he probably would.

Roman easily trusted people and sometimes he ended up being hurt because of that. But he still believed in the goodness of mankind. He always hoped that people would be honest and fair to him. Maybe he thought that people were just as unselfish as he was but he was damn wrong about that.

"Yeah, I know. She's completely freaking out 'cause she has stretch marks now. Like I give a fuck," he huffed, rolling his eyes and scratching the back of his head.

"You know she loves you, right?" Shannon asked, mentally slapping herself for even saying that out loud when Roman gave her a slightly confused look.

"I've never doubted it. Why would you ask that?" he questioned, raising an eye-brow at her and looking at her expectantly.

Thankfully their conversation was interrupted by both Eva-Marie and Rosa Mendes who literally shoved their asses into Roman's face, looking at him seductively and _very inconspicuously_ dangling their boobs in front of him.

"Roman, hey, how are you today?" Eva-Marie asked with a fake smile on her face before throwing her bright red hair over her shoulder.

"I'm good, thanks. Now if you don't mind, I was having a conversation," he answered bluntly, not being in the mood to talk to these two fake girls. They were such a waste of time.

Eva-Marie wanted to react but was immediately pulled away from him by Rosa Mendes who knew not to mess with Roman when he was in such a mood. He was quite popular with the divas and he knew it. But he quite frankly didn't care. He had never cheated on any of his girlfriends and he sure as hell wouldn't start now. He loved Karolina. She was the only person he wanted to be with. Not only sexually, but in every aspect of life.

"You really don't even look at them, do you?" Shannon asked, surprised that he seemingly didn't even notice that there were other women walking planet earth.

"Why would I? They're not that exciting," he answered curtly, not seeing the necessity in explaining himself.

"Dean even looks when I'm around. I mean, just take a look at them," she said and pointed towards Eva and Rosa who were now facing them with their backs. "They have great asses and big, firm boobs."

Roman glanced at the two women quickly before shaking his head frantically.

"Yeah, they might have great bodies but you should know by now that's not what I'm looking for in a woman. And I honestly don't like where this conversation is going. I don't wanna distract myself with other women just because I miss Karolina," he explained, sighing heavily and rubbing his eyes.

Shannon swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Roman really didn't care about other women. He wouldn't look at them, he wouldn't fantasize about them...he wouldn't even think about them. And that made everything so much worse. He was the most faithful man she had ever met. And Karolina? Karolina, who was pregnant with his baby, almost had sex with their common best friend. So if Roman ever found out, she was sure that all hell would break loose.

"Sorry, didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to see if every guy is like Dean, but apparently they're not. Of course I got the short end of the stick," she said and giggled, relief setting in when she saw the smile on his face.

"He loves you though," Roman replied before taking her hand into his and squeezing it. "He's a lucky guy, Shannon. You're an amazing woman."

Shannon looked at him wide-eyed, a small lump forming in her throat. Did he really just say that? The man in front of her had just told her what she always wanted Dean to tell her. Now she knew why Karo loved Roman so much. He was a hopeless romantic.

"Thank you, Roman. It means a lot to me. At least you know how to appreciate me. Dean is not so verbal about his love to me," she admitted, her shoulders hanging low now.

"He's never told you he loved you?" he asked, not believing what Shannon was just trying to tell him.

"Nope, never. But hey, no big deal, right? I knew it would be like that when I decided to stay with him. So please, no pity," she said with a chuckle, trying to hide that she was actually really sad about that.

Roman could tell she was lying to him but he accepted that she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe he had to talk some sense into Dean and tell him that sometimes a woman needed to know that she was loved and cherished.

Love was such a crazy thing sometimes. He was just happy that his relationship was going perfectly fine. He had never been happier in his life. Karolina gave him everything he wanted and needed. She was the woman he gave his heart to. She was having his baby. They were going to get married. Nothing and nobody would ever be able to change that.

**…**

Seth groaned when his full bladder forced him to get out of bed. He was having such an intense dream about Karolina that he cursed himself for drinking too much the night before when he went to bed.

Still half-asleep, he made his way over to the bathroom. He had been sleeping in one of the guest rooms for a few weeks now. It was actually the one Shannon and Dean always occupied when they were in Pensacola. He exactly remembered the first time he wanted to sleep in that bed. It was terrifying.

_"Karoooooooo," Seth screamed as soon as he had pulled away the blankets of the king-sized bed._

_"What is it? Are you okay? Did you hurt your knee again?" she asked after storming into the guest room, completely out of breath._

_"I wish it was my fucking knee. But no...this right there is even worse," he said and pointed his index finger at the sheets in front of them._

_Karolina moved a little closer, trying to figure out what Seth meant when she suddenly burst out laughing._

_"You think that's funny? Are you fucking kidding me? That's disgusting, Karo," he scoffed, grimacing when he thought about the things Dean and Shannon had done in that bed._

_"Now come on. Don't act as you have never seen sperm stains before," she giggled, carefully folding the sheets and throwing them into the hallway so she could clean them later._

_"Yeah, I've seen my own and they look a lot classier," he countered, shaking his head and making gag noises._

_"How can sperm stain look classy, Mr Rollins?" she asked, holding her baby bump while laughing heartily._

_"Next time I'll leave some anywhere, I'll show you," he said bluntly, looking at her intently with a mischievous smile on his face._

He had to laugh to himself when he remembered that situation. He had to admit that it was actually really funny. But he still shuddered whenever he thought about those stains.

Without much thought he opened the door to the bathroom, his bladder begging him for release or else it would explode.

But maybe he should have knocked or even check if Karo was still in her bedroom, because as soon as he had opened the door, he was greeted by a naked pregnant woman who just came out of the shower. She probably didn't even realize that he was standing in the doorway as she was bending down slightly to dry off her legs, exposing her naked ass to him which almost immediately made his cock hard.

He had never seen her naked. Never. Maybe he had seen a few small parts of her body which hadn't been covered up, but this was it. This was her being the way God made her and he made sure to send a prayer up to the big man in heaven thanking him when he was in his right state of mind again.

He watched her intently as she was moving up and down, even getting a glimpse of her most intimate part which eventually resulted in his boxer briefs becoming a little too tight for his own taste. He could see the curves of her breasts, her nipples were hard, probably due to the coldness that hit her after the hot shower. She was beautiful. Simply stunning. He had never in his life seen a naked pregnant woman. But if they all looked like her, then he had a new obsession, as weird as it sounded.

"OH MY GOD. Get outta here, Seth," she yelled, trying to cover up with her tiny towel but it wouldn't help at all. "What are you doing here? Leave, for fuck's sake."

Seth was perplexed. He couldn't even move. Seeing her from the front now made him even more aroused. If she only knew how gorgeous she was. He would love to show her just how sexy he thought she looked. He would take it slow. But if she wanted to, he would even fuck her the hard way.

_Seth, wake up, man. What are you doing? You promised her not to make a move on her again_, he thought to himself.

When he snapped out of it, he finally turned around and quickly closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at himself and immediately noticed the huge bulge that was visible through his boxers. And he was sure she had seen it as well.

He was such a fucking idiot. But he didn't even do it on purpose. It wasn't like he wanted to catch her naked. Not that he complained though. She was a sight for sore eyes. But if he wanted to save their friendship, then things like that definitely had to stop.

He made his way downstairs quickly. He really had to empty his bladder or there would be a disaster. His boner was giving him a hard time to let loose, but when he was finally done, he let out a heavy sigh.

He knew he had to get out of that guest bathroom soon. He couldn't hide in there forever. He would eventually have to face her. But he tried to be all cool about it. He wouldn't let show that it had rattled him.

Much to his surprise, Karo was already back in the living room. All dressed, of course.

"Seth, seriously...," she started but he wouldn't even let her finish. It was his time to talk now.

"No, listen. I didn't do it on purpose, ok? I just needed to take a piss pretty badly and I didn't even think you would be awake already. Maybe next time you should lock the door," he said, looking at her sternly.

Yes, he had a point. She could have avoided it if she had locked it and in the end maybe this was even her own fault. But it still didn't change the fact that he had an erection while staring at her. That was definitely not her fault.

"Look, don't say anything, ok? Let's just forget about it and move on. The past is the past. We were on a good way, right? Let's keep going like this, alright?" he asked her, relieved when she nodded her head yes.

What else was there left to say anyways? Maybe he actually didn't mean it when he said they were on a good way. Maybe she was. But he wasn't. He still loved her. And it was pretty obvious how much of an effect she still had on him. But maybe he would do better when Roman was back. He would have to be more careful then anyways. He didn't want him to find out, right?

**…**

Roman was tying his boots when Dean and Shannon came back into the locker room. They had a match against the Usos in about 30 minutes. The last match before he finally could go back to the love of his life who was desperately and impatiently waiting for him in their house in Pensacola.

The days seemed to become longer and longer. It was exhausting – mentally and physically. But he kept reminding himself that in just a few more weeks, he could stay with her without having to go back on tour.

"What's up, man?" Dean asked while plopping down on the couch next to his Samoan buddy.

"Nothing much. Just counting the hours until I'm back with my woman. I know she enjoys spending time with Seth but I also know that she needs me. I don't wanna keep her alone much longer," Roman said truthfully, letting his hair fall out of his ponytail and grabbing a bottle of water.

"I bet you don't," Dean said with a chuckle before taking a bite of the sandwich he had just gotten from catering.

"What do ya mean, man?" Roman asked, sure Dean had said that with tongue-in-cheek.

"Bro, I really respect you for being such a humble man and stuff, but seriously...I would not let my woman stay with Seth after what happened," he said nonchalantly, immediately getting slapped by Shannon who was sitting on an armchair next to them.

He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders innocently. What was her problem now? For once he was giving his friend a compliment and even that wasn't good enough.

"After what exactly happened?" Roman asked, a frown on his face when he looked back and forth between Dean and Shannon.

"Nothing, Ro. Really...it's not that important. You know how Dean can be. Always talking nonsense, right baby?" she said and looked at Dean expectantly, forcing a fake smile and nodding at him.

She was telepathically trying to tell him to shut his mouth or she would kill him. But would Dean even understand? She doubted it. Sometimes it was exhausting to be with a man who most of the times didn't understand when to shut up.

"What the fuck are you guys talking about?" Roman asked, getting up and facing both of his friends with a serious look on his face.

He had the feeling that there was something they were both keeping from him. Something he wouldn't like. But he had no idea what to expect. And that scared him.

"Babe, I thought he knew...I mean, when you talked to Karo on the phone a few days ago she told you that they talked, right?" Dean looked at Shannon confused, not sure what the fuck was going on right then and there.

If Dean would only for once pay attention, he would now know that Karo had talked to Seth about the whole thing. Not to Roman. Wasn't that obvious?

But now there was no turning back. They would have to tell him. He wouldn't leave them alone about it. He would want to know every single detail and it broke Shannon's heart to be the person to shatter all of his dreams.

"Guys, tell me what the fuck's going on or I'm losing my fucking nerve, I swear to God," Roman said through gritted teeth, something he hardly ever did as he was normally a very calm and relaxed person.

"Roman, you might want to sit down now," Shannon said nervously, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a brief moment.

She didn't want to do it. She really didn't. But she knew she had to. Karo was probably going to kill her for this but what was she supposed to do now? Roman would not stop questioning her until she told him what was going on.

"Just tell him, sweet cheeks. He's a big boy, he can take it," Dean said, not understanding why she was making such a big deal out of it.

Yes, it sucked that Seth and Karolina had become intimate, but it wasn't as if something really happened. But that was Dean. He didn't see the importance of this whole thing. He still had to learn about the _do's and don'ts_ of a relationship as he had only been fucking around his whole life before he finally met Shannon.

Roman surprisingly did as he was told without resistance. He sat down, keeping a straight face and looking at Shannon intently. He knew he shouldn't wait for Dean to speak up. He wouldn't give him a proper explanation about what had happened. And as calm as Roman seemed to be, there was a huge lump that was forming in his throat.

"So...uhm...a few weeks ago...Seth and Karolina...well, you know that Karo misses you. And her hormones are getting the best of her. She was confused and she needed affection and love. But you weren't there and so..." she stuttered, jumping when Roman stopped her by barking at her.

"Shannon, stop beating around the bush, for fuck's sake," he said through gritted teeth, not liking where she was going with her speech. He expected the worst.

Shannon looked back at Dean with pleading eyes. It was probably dumb to ask him for support but she felt so helpless. She didn't have the heart to tell him. She just couldn't. She had really taken him into her heart and it would kill her to tell him the truth.

"They kissed, made out...almost fucked, that's about it," Dean suddenly said, getting annoyed by the tension that was in the air and hating how uneasy everyone in the room seemed to be.

He liked to keep it short and sweet. He had always been brutally honest. Why should he sugarcoat the whole thing anyways? It wouldn't have made sense. Roman had to know. Maybe he wasn't explicit enough for his friend to fully understand what really had happened but he was sure that it was enough for him to know that Seth and Karo did something that was completely wrong.

"Seth and Karolina? They...had sex?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper, his eyes reflecting insecurity and sadness.

He must have been hearing things. He probably misunderstood him. Or this was one of Dean's bad jokes. Yes, that was probably the case. It must have been.

"No! Oh my God, no. They didn't have sex, Roman! It...almost happened, but they stopped before it was too late," Shannon added quickly, not wanting to make things worse than they actually were.

Roman swallowed hard. Was he imagining things? Was he dreaming? This couldn't be true. Karolina would never do something like this. And Seth? No, Seth was his best friend. Why would he want to sleep with his fiancée? This was ridiculous. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

He looked at Shannon and Dean with a frown on his face. When Dean nodded his head, he knew that they were indeed not lying. It was the truth. The love of his life and their best friend had betrayed him. They had used his good-naturedness and his trust. While he was touring around the United States, they were in HIS house in Pensacola, probably having a good laugh about how stupid he was for leaving them alone.

He didn't even realize that tears were streaming down his face when he suddenly started to sob. There he was: the big Samoan monster, crying his eyes out because he had his heart broken. By two of the most important people in his life.

Never in his life had he felt more hurt and devastated. It was as if somebody was stabbing a knife into his heart repeatedly. Over and over again. He felt empty and numb. He just couldn't believe it.

"Oh Roman, I'm so sorry," Shannon said before standing up quickly and wrapping her arms around him gently.

He didn't move though. He was in a trance, not being able to fathom what was happening. He just wanted to wake up and forget about this horrible nightmare he was just having. Why him? Why of all people him? What had he done wrong to deserve this?

"This baby...is it even mine?" he asked no one in particular, all of a sudden questioning everything that he had established with Karo.

Maybe they had played him all the time. Maybe she just wanted to pin the baby on him so that he wouldn't become suspicious. He doubted everything. He doubted his relationship to Karo, he doubted the fatherhood of that baby and he doubted the friendship he had with Seth. All of this was a lie. His whole life was a lie.

"What are you talking about? Of course it's your baby. Roman, this happened just a few weeks ago. She's always been faithful to you. Look, if you want to know exactly what happened, then let me tell you that it was _her_ who stopped him before things got out of control," she said, hoping he would understand what she had just told him.

Maybe it was selfish but she really didn't care if Seth got his ass kicked. Maybe he even deserved that. She just wanted to make sure that Roman would forgive Karolina for what she did because she wasn't in her right state of mind. Yes, her hormones really shouldn't be an excuse for her actions but she would never do anything to hurt him on purpose. She loved him. She really did.

He gently let go of Shannon and wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand. He didn't care if he looked weak in front of his friends. He had all the right in the world to cry. He was a very emotional man. He had always been. He just couldn't help it. And he wasn't even ashamed of his tears. He needed to let it all out in order to be able to process all of this.

He stood up slowly, closing his eyes tightly for a moment and taking a deep breath. As much as he was hurting, he knew that he still had a job to do. He honestly wanted to leave and go back to Pensacola to take them both to task. But he didn't want to lose his job over this. He wanted to keep at least that, when he felt like he had already lost the love of his life and one of his best friends. He didn't want to end up empty-handed.

"We have a match, Ambrose," he suddenly said, wetting his hair with the bottle of water and zipping up his vest.

He was ready to get all of his frustrations out. It was a shame he would have to hurt his own cousins for the drama that was going on his life, but he was more than ready to spear a few people into no man's land. Anger was replacing sadness in just a matter of a few minutes. And he was determined to let Seth feel just how angry he was when he would get back to Pensacola the day after.


	20. Tell me the truth

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**Thanks to each and every reader and reviewer! You are the ones that make me keep writing.**

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Chapter 20: Tell me the truth

Roman had decided to change his flight arrangements for the next day so that he could catch an earlier flight back to Pensacola. It was needless to say that he hadn't slept all night. Thousands of thoughts were running through his mind. He still couldn't believe that this was really happening. He was still hoping that all of this was just a bad nightmare and he would soon wake up to see that everything was fine.

He wasn't ashamed to admit that he had shed a few more tears that night. He had never been so hurt in his life before. It was surreal to think that the love of his life and his best friend were having some kind of affair behind his back. He had always tried to make her happy. He had travelled from one end of the United States to be back in Pensacola so that he could spend his only few days off with her, even if that meant he could only stay a few hours until he had to be back on tour. It was exhausting but he would have done everything to put a smile on her face.

His heart was beating fast in his chest after he had parked his rental car in the driveway of their house. He couldn't even move. He so badly wanted to go in there and beat the shit out of his best friend but he just couldn't. He felt so numb, so empty. He was afraid to catch them in some kind of intimate moment. They were only expecting him around noon and would probably be surprised to see him that early. But he had done it on purpose. He wanted to see their faces when he surprisingly interrupted their togetherness.

He took a deep breath and opened the driver's seat door, hopping out of the SUV and cautiously shutting it close again as he didn't want to attract any attention. He decided to leave his bags in the trunk. He wouldn't need them now. Maybe he wouldn't even need them at all.

He closed his eyes tightly and swallowed hard as soon as he put the key into the lock. It took all of his mental strength to turn it around so that the front door was finally opened. He stepped into his house slowly, closing the door behind him quietly and stopping dead in his tracks when he heard them both talking to each other.

"Now come on. Don't be such a wimp. It's not like I've never done it before," Seth said, moving closer to her with a smile on his face.

"I'm not a wimp. I can oil my belly myself..." she said, defending herself.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and closed the distance between them, tickling her sides which made her giggle uncontrollably.

"Stop it, Seth...ahhh...please stop," she yelled, completely out of breath when he kept tickling her.

That was Roman's cue. That was the moment he had been waiting for the last couple of hours. He finally had the courage to take them to task. It had to happen.

He slowly made his way through the hallway which would eventually lead to the living room, stopping in the doorframe and watching how Seth had his hands all over his fiancée. Maybe he had gotten used to this sight. It had happened many times. But this was the first time he knew that this meant so much more than just an act of friendship.

Karolina and Seth didn't even seem to notice him. They were lost in their own world. It hurt him to see them like that. They were so...close, intimate even.

He couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to see this.

He cleared his throat, immediately getting both of their attention. The expressions on their faces couldn't have been more different. Karo had a huge smile on her face when she realized that Roman was home while Seth looked at him surprised.

"Roooman," Karo yelped and happily made her way over to him. "You're here early."

She wanted to wrap her arms around him when he stopped her by gently putting his hand on her shoulder, not wanting her to get too close to him. It hurt him to do that but he had to in order to protect himself. He didn't want her to touch him when he didn't know if she had become intimate with Seth in the meantime.

"I am. Am I interrupting something?" he asked, looking back and forth between his fiancée and best friend.

Karolina looked at him confused, not understanding why there was so much anger in his voice. He looked mad. He exactly looked like that monster he represented when he was competing in the ring. And that scared her. It was the same exact look he had in his eyes when he punched Drew in the face in that club back in the day when they had their first date.

"Roman, what's wrong?" she asked quietly, wanting to close the distance between them again but he wouldn't let her.

"I could ask you the same question," he replied, looking at her sternly which made her shiver.

What was wrong with him? She had no idea how to handle him when he was like that. He was scary. Yes, he scared her and that was a sad fact.

"What is it, man? Stop treating her like that. Don't you see that you scare her?" Seth asked, not aware of the fact that his best friend so desperately wanted to spear him through a wall.

"Oh, I'm really sorry for scaring her. I really should be more understanding of her feelings, right? But I'm sure you know how to treat her right, don't you Seth?" Roman asked, walking past Karo and making his way over to Seth, standing right in front of him and looking into his eyes directly.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Seth asked, somehow sensing that he was in deep shit.

He would lie if he said that he wasn't worried. He had never seen Roman like that. His best friend normally was a calm and relaxed kind of guy but something must have happened to make him act like that.

"The question is what the fuck is wrong with you," Roman started, moving even closer so that Seth could feel his breath on his skin. "Why don't you just ask me next time when you wanna bang my girl, huh? I'm sure we can talk about it and somehow find an arrangement, don't you think?"

Seth swallowed hard. Roman knew. He knew what had happened and he had no idea how to react to his words. What was he supposed to say anyways?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Seth lied, trying his hardest to sound convincing and to seem unafraid.

Roman just huffed and shook his head disbelievingly. Was Seth really trying to act as if nothing had happened? Was he really lying directly to his face?

"Oh you know damn right what I'm talking about. I know what's going on here. I know you've been trying to get into my woman's pants, you non-good son of a bitch," he said through gritted teeth, pushing him hard so that Seth was stumbling.

He didn't care about Seth's knee. Not at all. He actually wanted to grab him by the collar of his shirt but he wasn't even wearing one. How surprising.

"Roman, stop it please. Let me explain and..." Karo started but he stopped her mid-sentence.

"You shut the fuck up now," he yelled at her, giving her a death glare before turning his attention back to Seth.

"How could you even think about that? How could you even try? You're pathetic, Rollins. You're a pathetic, useless motherfucker," Roman hissed, once again pushing Seth but this time he wouldn't back down.

This time Seth fought back. He knew he was on the losing end when it came to fighting Roman, but he would not stop. He would do everything to defend himself and his love to Karolina.

"Please stop...both of you...please," Karo begged, tears now streaming down her face.

She was scared. Scared of her own fiancé. And scared for Seth's health.

But Roman wouldn't stop. He was furious. He was mad and disappointed and hurt...there were so many feelings deep inside of him and he had no idea how to handle them all at once. Hearing Karo sob uncontrollably didn't help matters either. It had been his plan to beat Seth unconscious but he couldn't do that in front of his pregnant fiancée. As disappointed and angry he was with her, he cared about their baby and he didn't want to put his child's health in jeopardy.

He pushed Seth once more until he had him where he wanted him. Seth was pushed against a wall with his back and there was no way for him to escape. He looked deep into Roman's eyes, waiting for him to react in any kind of way but his – now former – best friend just stared back at him.

"Roman, please let him go," Karo pleaded once again, her face now puffy and her eyes blood-shot.

He looked back at her, seeing how exhausted and scared she looked and it simply broke his heart. He loved this woman. He loved her with all his heart. And he hated to do this to her. He didn't want to do it. But she needed to see what she had done to him.

"Leave now before I fucking lose it. Leave and never come back. This is not over, Rollins. I will see you again and next time you might get hurt. I promise you that," he said before all of a sudden punching his fist against the wall right next to Seth's face, making Karo scream in shock.

Seth took a deep breath and just nodded his head. There was no sense in fighting back anymore. Roman had already lost his temper and Seth didn't want to provoke him any further. Because if he did he was sure he would be lying on the floor, probably bleeding.

He freed himself from this tensed up situation and tried to make his way over to the stairs so that he could go upstairs to pack his stuff. But Karo stopped him immediately, grabbing him by his arm and making him look at her.

"Don't go..." she whispered, the tears not stopping.

"Do you want him to stay, Karolina? Do you wanna be with him? Is that what you really want, huh?" Roman yelled at her, not believing that she didn't want to let him go.

"Roman...I love you for fuck's sake. He's our friend," she yelled back, wiping away some of the tears with the back of her hand.

"He's our friend? Is he? Do friends sleep with your pregnant fiancée? Do friends betray you and lie to you? Is that what friendship is all about?" he asked her, his heart breaking in his chest when he saw that she held onto Seth's arm tightly.

"Nothing happened," she replied weakly, gently letting go of Seth when she saw how Roman's eyes were following her every movement.

"Just because he didn't plunge his dick into your pussy doesn't mean nothing happened, Karolina," he said quietly but still angry, the look in his eyes reflecting anger but also insecurity.

"Let it go, sweetie. I'm leaving now," Seth said softly, slowly going up the stairs with his hurt knee so that he could pack his stuff.

He had no idea where to go. He would call a cab and probably catch a flight to go back to Iowa and continue the rehab in his hometown. It killed him to leave Karolina. He loved her and he was afraid that Roman would do something that would hurt her or the baby. He normally wasn't concerned about that as Roman was probably the most relaxed person he had ever met. But the circumstances were different now.

Karolina looked at Roman unsure as soon as Seth was out of sight. She wasn't sure what to say or if she should say anything at all. What did all of this mean for her? Was he going to throw her out as well? Would he leave her? Would he leave her and their baby? Another wave of tears streamed down her face just thinking about that. She could only imagine that Shannon had told him and that really hurt her. She had trusted her. She was sure that her friend would keep this to herself. But she had been disappointed.

"Why Karolina? Just tell me why," he whispered, seemingly calmed down now.

She looked down at herself, not wanting to see the hurt expression on his face. It was heart-breaking. It was her fault that he felt so miserable. He had given her his heart and she just stamped down on it over and over again. She didn't deserve him. Not at all.

"I don't know, Roman. I wish I did but I don't. I love you. I really do mean it. You're the only person I want to be with. It just happened. But please...believe me when I say that I haven't slept with him. You're the only person I've been with since the very day you and I got together," she replied, lifting her head slightly to look at him again.

Their conversation was interrupted when Seth hobbled down the stairs with his suitcase in his left hand. He had a hard time getting downstairs as his knee was still hurting but he knew he couldn't expect any help from Roman or Karolina for that matter.

"Okay...I'm leaving now," Seth said before wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Take care of yourself, sweetheart. I love you, babe. And I'll text you when I'm back home," Seth said quietly, kissing her cheek softly although he knew he risked getting punched by the Samoan that was standing just a few feet away from him.

"Don't you dare even think about contacting her," he said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists angrily when he saw that Seth still had the nerve to touch his fiancée like that.

"Goodbye Seth," Karo simply said before finally letting him go, blinking away the tears and just nodding her head at him.

It broke her heart to see him leave. It hurt her so much to see him like that. He was such a kind-hearted soul and she knew that he didn't fall in love with her on purpose. It just happened and he couldn't even control it. She was going to miss him. But she knew that she would have to let him go if she wanted to save her relationship to Roman.

She watched him as he left, turning her attention back to Roman when she heard that the front door had been closed again.

"Please forgive me," she pleaded, approaching him slowly and taking his hand into hers. "Please..."

Roman closed his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath and trying to choke down the tears that were building in his eyes. He wanted to forgive her. He really did. But he couldn't do that so easily. She had broken his heart into a million pieces and although he knew it was dangerous for her to feel bad in her condition, he couldn't just give in. She had to learn from her mistakes and see what she had done to him.

"I'm going to my parents' now. I'm gonna stay there overnight. I don't want to spend the night with you under one roof," he said truthfully before snatching his hand back from her.

It took all of his courage and strength to do this but he knew he had to. He couldn't just act as if everything was fine. He didn't want to share a bed with her. He needed some time to think. He wanted to be around people that loved him.

"Are you gonna tell 'em?" she asked nervously, afraid his parents would be disappointed in her.

"They're gonna be curious, don't you think?" he replied bluntly before slowly making his way over to the front door with her following him quickly.

"I'm so sorry. I really am," she said once again, the tears not stopping from falling down her cheeks. "When will you come back?"

He sighed heavily and turned around, his hand on the knob.

"I guess I'll come by tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about," he said, closing his eyes for a few moments before kneeling down in front of her.

"Hey Joshua. I'm really sorry about all of this. Daddy didn't want this to happen. But don't be afraid. I will always be there for you, no matter what. Please just do me one favour, son: don't give your mommy such a hard time, ok? Calm down and try to get some sleep. I love you, cookie…never forget that," he whispered with his ear pressed against her baby bump.

Karo couldn't help but start sobbing uncontrollably. He was such a loving and caring human being. She watched him as he placed a few small kisses around her bellybutton before he eventually got up again.

"See you, Karolina," he simply said before quickly turning around to open the door and make his way over to his parents, leaving her all by herself.

She fell down on her knees, her hands now resting on her belly while she completely broke down crying. She had lost everything. She lost Seth, she lost Roman, she lost the sense of her life. She had never felt this miserable in her whole life. But maybe she deserved it. Maybe this was her punishment for being such an easy slut. She was sure he wouldn't come back. He would get a lawyer and have her thrown out of their house so that he could carry on with his life...without her.

**…**

Karolina had been crying all day and night. She just couldn't stop. She hadn't even eaten or slept. And Joshua felt that his mother was completely stressed out and exhausted. He kept kicking her constantly, more forcefully than he had ever done before. He was probably hungry. But she just couldn't eat. She felt nauseous and sick.

It was around 10am the next morning that somebody knocked on her front door. All she had done so far was sitting on the couch and staring into space while crying her eyes out. So maybe it was a good thing to at least walk to the door and see a new face, even if it was only the mailman.

But it wasn't the mailman who had interrupted her precious time of pitying herself, no, it was Dean and Shannon who were standing in front of her door.

"You look awful, princess," Dean said truthfully, shocked to see her in the state she was in.

She was all pale with dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was a mess and it seemed like she hadn't changed clothes for a few days.

"Fuck off," Karo replied weakly, wanting to slam the door shut again but he stopped her quickly.

She turned around and went back into the living room, not caring that her two friends were following her immediately. She didn't want to talk to them. It was their fault that Roman knew and she wouldn't forgive them that easily.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Karo. I really didn't mean to..." Shannon started but Karo didn't even think about letting her finish her little speech and interrupted her instantly.

"Who the hell do you think you are!? You don't just get to ruin my relationship with Roman and then come to comfort me afterwards! What kind of a friend are you!? A horrible one! I trusted you! I confided in you because I was confused! And what do I get in return? You go and tell not only your stupid boyfriend but Roman as well? Are you seriously trying to ask for forgiveness? Roman went to go stay with his parents, for fuck's sake! He doesn't want to be anywhere near me and that's all your fault," Karo yelled at Shannon, her whole body shaking with sobs.

"Hey, it's not her fucking fault! Shannon didn't tell you to get all comfortable with Seth and lead him the hell on! We, and I say we because of the fact that I'm the one who said something, didn't ask to be dragged into your stupid relationship problems! You don't get to blame Shannon and I for doing the right thing! Hell, you should have told Roman as soon as you fucking did the deed with Seth! He sure as hell would be easier to deal with that this situation would be a whole lot worse! So, you know what? If you don't want Shannon and I here, we'll go and comfort your fucking boyfriend. At least he knows what's up," Dean screamed, his face turning all red which was a sign that he was extremely angry.

"You both are so full of shit. Especially you, Shannon. You're such a selfish, little..." Karo yelled once again, but this time it was neither Shannon nor Dean who interrupted her.

"Don't yell at her! At least she fucking told me! You weren't planning to tell me anytime soon, Karolina! This is a big deal! You should have told me the night it happened! But no, you chose to turn to your best friend, who is also dating my best friend! You don't get to be mad at Shannon and Dean for doing the right thing," Roman said while standing in the doorframe of the living room.

None of them had heard him enter the house so they were all surprised to see him all of a sudden.

"Roman..." Karo just said, her voice almost a whisper.

She looked him over from head to toe. He just looked as awful as she did. And if the situation wouldn't have been that fucked up, it would have been funny that he was wearing his dark-grey sweatpants together with his light-grey shirt he also wore before they had shared their first kiss. He had been just as miserable around that time.

"I appreciate you guys being here. It means a lot to me. But I hope you understand that I need to talk to Karolina alone. I'll call you as soon as we're done, ok?" Roman asked, directing his question to Dean and Shannon who nodded their heads approvingly.

Dean hugged Roman quickly before Shannon wrapped her arms around his midsection, sighing heavily when her Samoan friend kissed the top of her head softly, making her sob quietly. He was such a good guy and she was sorry that he had been hurt so much. She also felt horrible for Karolina. Although she had been yelled at by her best friend, she didn't want her to feel so miserable. She loved that girl like the sister she'd never had and she hoped that their friendship could still be saved.

Without saying another word, Roman moved and sat down on the couch, looking at her expectantly and telepathically asking her to sit down as well. She had no idea if sitting next to him was such a good idea, so she decided to sit across from him on an armchair.

"Can you now answer my question, Karolina?" he asked bluntly, his eyes never leaving hers while he spoke those words.

She knew exactly what question he meant. It was the question _'why'_. _Why_ did she let that happen? _Why_ had she done this? _Why_ didn't she tell him? There were so many _why_ questions he could ask her. But he was afraid she could answer none of them.

"I honestly don't know. I have no idea," she stated and sighed, knowing that her answer would not be sufficient but what else could she tell him?

"Do you love him?" he immediately asked, taking a deep breath as he was afraid of her answer.

"Yes, I do love him. But not in the way I love you. He's my best friend. He knows everything about me and..." she said but he stopped her with a huff.

"Maybe he knows too much about you," he said sarcastically which made her sigh.

"I wasn't done talking yet," she warned, looking at him sternly. "At first I didn't even realize that he loved me in a romantic kind of way. There had been awkward moments between us but I didn't think anything of it. Yes, there has been tension. Sexual tension even. But I never deliberately did anything to hurt you," she said and thereby finished her monologue.

But that explanation wasn't enough for Roman. She wasn't explicit enough for his taste. He wanted to know the truth. He wanted her to be brutally honest with him. He deserved that.

"Tell me everything. I wanna know every single detail. I want to know what exactly happened. It is my right to know. I NEED to know if you want me to forgive you, Karolina," he said, his voice quiet but firm.

She looked at him disbelievingly. Why would he want to know what happened? Wouldn't that hurt him even more? Why was he doing this to himself?

"A few weeks ago, when you called me to tell me you wouldn't make it home for another few days, I couldn't help but cry my eyes out. I felt so heartbroken and lonely without you. So I asked Seth if he would stay the night with me as I didn't want to be alone. I mean, nothing special about this, right? We've done that many times before. But this time...well...I can't even remember how it happened but he kissed me. Just a simple kiss on the lips," she explained, licking her suddenly dry lips nervously when she saw how cold he was towards her.

She looked at him hopefully, not sure if she should continue but as he remained silent, she decided to go for it.

"Then two or three weeks later, I can't even remember exactly, there was a day where I felt extremely dizzy and uncomfortable. Seth tried to help me to relax a little and started massaging my ankles and legs...well...god Roman, do I really have to tell you this?" she asked annoyed, not wanting to carry on with her explanation. It was pure torture.

"Why so uncomfortable talking about it? I bet you felt good when he touched you," Roman said, just looking at her with a straight face.

Karo swallowed hard and closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds. He really wanted her to do this. He wanted her to suffer. But she had no idea why. Because in the end all of this would hurt him as well, wouldn't it?

"Fine, I'll be honest with you. He made me feel good. I needed that. I needed some kind of affection and I won't deny that I was aroused by his touches. But this isn't about Seth. It could have been anyone. I know you're sick of hearing me use my hormones as an excuse but that's all it really was. I was a horny, pregnant woman. So yeah, it was me who kissed him this time. And it wasn't just a simple kiss. It was a passionate and heated make-out session. He began touching me...my thighs, my breasts...before he then..." she said but suddenly stopped, shaking her head when she once again realized what she had done. "...I could feel how he rubbed his erection against my crotch and that was the moment I stopped him."

She let out a heavy sigh, looking at her hands which were folded in her lap as she didn't want to see his reaction. She could only imagine how angry he must be. Not only angry but disappointed and hurt. But Roman was calm. He tried to fathom what she was telling him, her words echoing through his head over and over again.

"Why did you stop him, Karolina?" he asked, calling her by her name on purpose.

Right in this moment she wasn't his _'babygirl'_. She didn't deserve a cute nickname during this whole discussion. He was still too hurt to give her any term of endearment.

"Because it made me realize that this wasn't you. You are the only one I should want to sleep with. You have no idea how horrible I felt when I realized what I was doing. I know you don't feel sorry for me and you honestly shouldn't. I fucked up big time. But please remember one thing: I did NOT sleep with him. I stopped him because I remembered it was you I love. And nobody else," she said and ended her monologue before taking a deep breath.

She was done talking. She had told him everything and she wanted this all to be over. She looked at Roman and couldn't help but break down crying again. The man she loved with all her heart was so cold towards her and she felt so rejected. She had never felt so much pain in her heart before.

Roman's heart shattered into a million pieces when he saw her crying like this. Her whole body was shaking with sobs and her cheeks were puffy as tears were constantly streaming down her face. He knew that she was sorry. He was sure that her apology was genuine. She meant it. She regretted doing it. And he was sure that she would do anything to turn back time. She would undo it if she only could. But he was more concerned about their baby. He knew that she put their baby in danger with her current state and he wanted and needed to stop that. He knew she didn't eat when she was depressed. But Joshua needed to grow and he needed his mommy to be strong.

"I'll forgive you," he said all of a sudden, surprised that he had really said those words.

But he really did forgive her. It would take him a long time to trust her again. It would be a long and rocky journey to go back to where they had been before but he knew it was worth it. He loved her too much to let her go. They belonged together. They were going to have a baby soon and he wanted to be there when it was born.

"You...forgive me?" she asked disbelievingly, lifting her head and looking at him teary-eyed.

"I do. But don't expect me to forget. I never will. This is stuck in my head for the rest of my life. You have to earn my trust again, babygirl," he said softly, his heart beating fast in his chest when he saw that a small smile of relief spread across her face.

"Thank you," she simply before getting up and slowly making her way over to him. "I'll do anything to make this up to you, I promise."

Roman just nodded his head and returned her smile reluctantly. He was afraid of what was to come and he knew that the next few hours or even days would be awkward between them. They had to find back to each other but he was willing to work on their relationship.

"I don't expect you to say this back to me, but…I love you Roman," she whispered before softly and hesitantly pressing her lips onto his, her heart about to explode as she was afraid he would reject her.

But the moment he kissed her back, she felt like she was on cloud nine. That was where she belonged. This was the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. And she would never ever let him go again.

She was sure that everything would be fine again. Or wouldn't it? Only time would tell…


	21. We need to work things out

**Thanks for your overwhelming feedback on the last chapter. I was sure you would be surprised that Roman didn't kill Seth (yet) lol**

**Here I am with a new chapter and I hope you'll all like it.**

**Thanks to all my girls for supporting me. You all know who you are!**

**I hope you will stick with me and whatever I decide to do with this story. It has been completely elaborated already (which doesn't mean it's already written) and well…I don't know but I'm afraid you'll hate me one day lol So, promise me to keep reading, ok? :)**

**Now enjoy & review!**

Chapter 21: We need to work things out

As suspected, there was a lot of tension between Roman and Karolina that day. Other than going grocery shopping and doing laundry, they kept their distances and hardly spoke to each other. The tension was almost unbearable.

Karo didn't know if the silence was his way of making her suffer, but even if it was then it was fine with her. She deserved that. She knew that him forgiving her didn't mean that everything was fine for them. It was anything but that. But she had hoped he would at least talk to her properly.

She was wearing one of his old FCW shirts when she came to the bedroom that evening. Roman was already sitting on the bed, a book in his hand and not paying her any attention. It hurt him to do that but he just couldn't help it. She needed to see how much she had disappointed him.

In silence she got comfortable on her side of the bed, not sure if she should talk to him or not. She wanted to kiss him goodnight and tell him that she loved him but after telling him so that morning and not getting a reply, she didn't want to feel that kind of rejection again.

The beeping of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She bent over slightly to get it from her nightstand, surprised to see that it was Seth who was texting her.

_Hey sweetheart! I've just landed in Iowa. I know I probably shouldn't message you but I just can't help it. I'm sorry about what happened. It has never been my intention to screw things up between you and Roman. I know I made a big mistake and I'm really sorry. I should have never made a move on you. It was plain wrong. You're in love with my best friend, if I can still call him that. And you're carrying his baby. I have no idea how I could even think about trying to seduce you. I hope you can forgive me one day. And I hope he can as well. I love you, Karolina. I love you with all my heart. That won't change. Text me back if you can. But I can absolutely understand if you just delete this message and forget about me. Seth xx_

Karo swallowed hard, not wanting the tears that were building in her eyes to escape. Not in front of Roman. He would know that it was Seth who was texting her and that would make everything so much worse. He had dared Seth to contact Karo but he still did. He still had the nerve to do it and thereby put himself in so much more danger.

"What does he say?" Roman suddenly asked, putting his book down and looking at her expectantly.

She was too afraid to look at him. He would see that she had tears in her eyes and she honestly didn't want to provoke him and make this situation even more tense.

"Nothing really," she said curtly, not wanting to get into the content of Seth's text and just deleted it.

She knew he would understand. He even said it was fine for him if she just deleted it. She still felt horrible though. He was her best friend and as much as she loved Roman, she didn't want to lose Seth either.

"Yeah right..." he huffed, rolling his eyes before getting lost in his book again.

He was so sick of the lying. Although she hadn't really cheated on him, it felt like she had. And that both she and Seth still kept in touch made it so much more fucked up. He wanted to take her phone and just throw it against a wall so that it would shatter into a million pieces.

"Roman...please..." she sighed, putting her phone back onto the nightstand and turning her attention back towards him.

"Please what? What do you expect me to do? Sit here and feel sorry that he wasn't able to get into your pants? Is that what you want me to do? That's ridiculous, Karolina. He tried to take you away from me. You, my fiancée, the mother of my child. Do you have any idea how fucking betrayed I feel?" he asked, his voice slightly rising.

Karo took a deep breath, not really sure what to say. He was right. He was absolutely right and there was nothing she could do to make him feel better.

But the thing was that Roman was angrier with Seth than with her. Yes, she was as much into this as Seth was, but it was easier to forgive her than him. He did this on purpose. He had planned it. Karo was the one to fall for it. He blamed her hormones. Yes, he once again blamed her hormones. It might be stupid but that was his only explanation for this. He knew she loved him. He knew she would never deliberately do anything to hurt him. But Seth would. He actually had. And that was what hurt him the most.

"What else can I do to make this better? I keep apologizing...over and over again. But I know it's not enough. I want you to trust me but I'm sure you have lost all the trust and faith you ever had in me," she started, single tears streaming down her face. "But don't forget we're having a baby soon. It's not Joshua's fault that I'm such a stupid bitch."

"You're not a bitch," he said softly, his heart breaking when he saw that her whole body was shaking with sobs again. "You've made some pretty stupid decisions. But you're not a bitch. Karolina...I...I honestly don't know if there is anything you could do to make this all better. I think I just need some time to get over this."

She nodded her head and sniffled quietly. She was afraid he would say that. He needed some time. But she needed him. Now. It was selfish, she knew that, but she really needed him. She had missed him so incredibly much and now that she was 7-months' pregnant, she wanted him by her side more than ever.

"Do you think you could accompany me to one of the prenatal classes tomorrow? Or does this not fit into your 'I need some time' phase?" she asked, not even meaning it sarcastically.

She just wanted to know if he wanted to play a role in her pregnancy while he was home. Roman knew that Seth had been with her to those classes recently. And maybe it was important to show those other women that he was the father of that baby. It was his and his alone.

"I think that could work. I...uhm...I want Joshua to know that I'm here for him. I think he needs his daddy a little more now," Roman said, suddenly feeling guilty for always being gone.

Could he even blame her for turning to somebody else? Should he be understanding? He immediately shook his head. No, he really shouldn't. He missed being with her as much as she missed being with him. But he didn't even think about getting the satisfaction from somebody else. Although there had been plenty of possibilities to do so.

"He's been kicking me a lot recently," she admitted, softly caressing her baby bump.

"He feels that his mommy is stressed out," he replied, the tone of reproach in his voice unmistakable.

"I haven't been the best mom for a while now. I forgot to take my vitamins, barely sleep more than five hours a night...not to forget that I eat very irregularly," she said quietly, her shoulders hanging low now.

She knew that their baby needed for her to be more thoughtful. Especially now that he was growing more and more with each week passing by. There was no time for Karolina to be selfish anymore. She needed to be healthier again. She needed more rest, more peace...and more to eat.

"Are you craving for anything right now? Would you like me to get you something to eat?" he asked, hoping that he could do anything to make her feel better.

He was worried. Not only about her health but his baby's as well. He would go to China for her if she craved something he could only get for her there.

"I want Chicken Nuggets," she said truthfully, a shy smile on her face.

"McDonalds?" he asked and chuckled when he saw how she frantically nodded her head.

Roman closed his book and put it on his nightstand. He was about to get into his jeans when he noticed that she was about to get dressed as well.

"What are you doing?" he asked her confused.

"McDrive and then eating at the beach?" she asked hopefully.

She had to get out of their house. She needed some fresh air to clear her head. And she would love to spend some time with Roman with the sound of the waves hitting the shore. Just like in good old times.

"Uhm...yeah...why not?" he answered, turning around and grabbing one of his shirts which he pulled over his head.

She was only in her bra and panties when he turned around again, rummaging through the closet to find something to wear. It was already dark outside so she didn't have to dress fancy or anything, but she didn't want to look like a whale in cheap clothes either.

Roman breathed in sharply, mesmerizing the beauty of his fiancée. She was beautiful. Absolutely breath-taking. Her baby bump had grown so much more within the last two weeks and he could literally see how their son got comfortable in his mommy's belly.

He so badly wanted to wrap his arms around her, kiss her lips softly and then make passionate love to her. But he just couldn't. The picture of her sharing an intimate moment with Seth still stuck in his head. He knew he would eventually be able to have sex with her again. But tonight was not the right time for that.

"You ok, Roman?" she asked while trying to button her pants, sensing that he seemed to be lost in thought.

"What? Uhm...yeah, I'm fine. Do you need...help?" he questioned, motioning to her jeans when he realized that she had a hard time with the button.

"I don't think you'll be able to make me fit into those jeans again. Actually it's your fault that I'm so fat right now," she complained, finally giving up and letting her fiancé help her.

"Yeah, and that's why I feed you with chicken nuggets now," he chuckled after zipping and buttoning her jeans, winking at her which made her heart jump in her chest.

She had no idea how she even could do these inappropriate things with Seth when she had such an amazing man by her side. She felt horrible. Nobody would ever know just how sorry she was for doing this to him.

"Let's go," he said, making his way over to the door and opening it for her.

They both made their way to the car in silence, completely lost in thought. They both loved each other with everything they had. They were both craving to touch each other, share kisses and just...enjoy being with each other. But while Karolina was afraid to get too close to him, Roman wasn't ready to give in just yet. It was a vicious circle.

It took them only 15 minutes to go through the drive-through and park their car at the beach, both of them walking through the sand with what felt like 200 chicken nuggets in their bags. Which she would eat all by herself, of course.

"I missed that," Roman said as they both sat down in the sand, his back leaned against a wall behind them.

"The ocean?" she asked, opening one of the bags and snapping one of the many nuggets.

"Yeah...it always calms me down. It feels like home, you know?" he replied, watching out to the sea and taking a deep breath.

In this very moment Karolina noticed that ever since she found out she was pregnant, it was all about her. How does Karo feel? How is she doing? Is she sick? Does her back hurt? Is there anything we can do for her? Karo Karo Karo...

She never once asked how he was doing. All their conversations were about her and that was a sad fact. She should listen to him more often. Ask him how he was feeling and what he wanted and needed. It wasn't fair how she had treated him in the last few months.

"I know it's stupid to ask you how you're doing, considering what mess I brought us in, but I just realized that we haven't spoken about you in ages," she said, handing him one of her chicken nuggets and waiting for him to reply.

"About me?" he asked confused, not understanding where she was going with this.

"Yeah, you. How do you feel about certain things? What's on your mind? Is there anything you would like to get off of your chest?" she replied, looking at him expectantly while munching on her food.

"I really don't know how to answer those questions, Karolina," he said truthfully before sighing heavily. "I feel horrible being away from you constantly and maybe this is the price I have to pay now. I haven't been myself for a while. All I do is function. I train, I wrestle, I eat, I sleep, I travel...I don't even have time to rest."

"Just because of me," she admitted, running a shaky hand through her hair.

"I'm happy to do it because I love you but that doesn't change the fact that it's exhausting," he replied, not realizing that he had just told her that he loved her. But she certainly did.

It's not like he had never told her, quite the contrary. But ever since finding out about her and Seth, he hadn't mentioned it at all. Which was only understandable.

"I never said thank you, did I? Uhm...well...thank you then," she said and giggled when he raised his eyebrow at her.

"You're one of a kind, Karolina," he simply said, silence falling over them immediately afterwards.

It was a silence that was comfortable. They just enjoyed being in each other's company while listening to the sounds of the ocean. _If he would only wrap his arms around me_, she thought.

"Will there ever come a time when things are fine between us again?" she asked cautiously, afraid of what he was about to tell her.

Roman remained silent for a few moments, thinking about her question over and over again. Did he even know himself? Was there an answer to that question?

"I guess so. It will take some time though," he replied honestly. "But...well...yeah, of course. You're having my baby and if that isn't a reason to make up again then I don't know what is."

As soon as he had said those words, it was a load off her mind. She was afraid things would always be that tense and awkward between them. She knew it would be difficult to make him trust her again but she was sure that she would soon earn it again.

They loved each other. And they would always find a way. Hopefully.

**…**

Karolina was surprised to see that Roman had prepared a huge breakfast for them. But as hungry as she seemed to be, it looked like the table was set for more than two persons.

She was about to ask him what was going on when the doorbell stopped her from doing so. Roman quickly made his way over to the door while Karo took a seat at the dining table, quickly getting some coffee before Roman would take it away from her. He still hated when she consumed too much caffeine.

"Good morning," a familiar voice said quietly, making Karo choke on her coffee.

She slowly lifted her head, staring at both Dean and Shannon disbelievingly. Had Roman really invited them for breakfast? Did he really have the nerve to do this to her?

"I'm not hungry anymore," she suddenly said before quickly getting up to leave the room as fast as she could.

"You stay here, Karolina. We have a lot to discuss," Roman warned, looking at her sternly and motioning with his head to the chair she had been sitting on before.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before she was going to lose her temper. She didn't want to talk to either Dean or Shannon. She was done with them. They had betrayed her trust and she couldn't so easily forgive them.

They all sat down in silence, not sure who was going to start that conversation. A conversation they all clearly didn't want except for Roman. He wanted to clear the air, he needed his friends to get along or things were going to be difficult.

"So...who wants to say something?" Roman asked before sipping on his orange juice, looking at the other three curiously.

Shannon looked at Dean pleadingly while Karo just stirred her coffee absently. Nobody really wanted to talk. They all felt uncomfortable being in one room, but Roman wouldn't just let them leave.

"I just think Karo should apologize to Shannon for being such a bitch yesterday," Dean said, being the first one to have the courage to speak up.

"Excuse me? You want ME to apologize? Look, it wasn't me that ratted on someone if I remember correctly. It was _your_ woman that shot her mouth off about a secret I have been able to trust her with," Karo hissed with anger in her voice.

"It was _me_ who spilled the beans. But you know what? It doesn't even matter. YOU fucked up, Karolina. You did and nobody else. It was right to tell Roman about your little tête-à-tête with Seth because you sure as hell wouldn't have done it," he said, his voice now louder than before.

Roman and Shannon just watched the scene between Karo and Dean, not wanting to interrupt them just yet.

"I wouldn't have told him because nothing really happened. I didn't want to stress him out over something that isn't even important," she defended herself, hating when Dean talked to her like she was a dumb little girl.

"It doesn't matter if nothing happened, Karolina. Because there was _something_ that happened. Although you didn't sleep with him in the end, it doesn't mean that it's okay," Roman said, involving himself in the discussion now.

"I didn't mean for this all to happen, Karo. I swear," Shannon said, her voice almost a whisper.

She had been crying all night long, feeling horrible that she almost ruined her best friend's relationship just because she couldn't keep her mouth shut in front of her boyfriend.

"Yeah whatever. Shove the apology up your ass," Karo snapped, fuming now.

"Don't talk to her like that or..." Dean started but was interrupted by her almost immediately.

"Or what? You're gonna hit me? You're gonna hit a pregnant woman, is that what you wanna do?" she yelled at Dean, holding her belly when she felt that Joshua had started kicking her forcefully again.

"Okay...shut up. Both of you. Nobody is gonna hit anybody. We're going to calm down now, ok?" Roman said, looking at them both intently. "Karolina, you should have told me. If you had then we wouldn't be sitting here and having this conversation."

"It still doesn't change the fact that she trusted me and I'm sorry about that," Shannon said to Roman before turning her attention back to Karo. "Please accept my apology, Karo. I'm sincerely sorry. You confided in me and I didn't even think about the importance when I told Dean. We didn't tell Roman on purpose. It just...slipped. I know that doesn't make things better for you but... please forgive me."

Shannon looked at Karo with tears streaming down her face. She normally was a strong and self-confident young woman but she felt that she was about to lose her best friend and that just broke her heart.

Karo swallowed hard, staring at her hands which were resting on her belly. What was she supposed to say now? She was still mad. Would she ever be able to trust her again? What if Roman decided to leave her after all? Could she even forgive Shannon for ruining her relationship then?

"Look, I know I've made a mistake and Roman knows that I'm sorry. Maybe you had all the right in the world to tell him. Maybe this was only fair. But Shannon...I really trusted you. I told you all of this because I needed your help and advice. You...you betrayed me and that hurts," Karo said quietly, licking her lips and taking a deep breath.

She lifted her head and looked at Shannon. Her face was puffy and her eyes blood-shot. It broke Karo's heart to see her like that. She knew she didn't do this to do any damage on purpose. Why would she?

"Don't expect me to ever tell you a secret again," Karo added, tears streaming down her face when she realized that she had lost all of her best friends.

She felt so incredibly alone now. She couldn't talk to Seth anymore, she couldn't confide in Shannon. And she sure as hell would never be able to tell Dean anything. She needed someone she could trust. Someone who wasn't Roman. But here she was, all by herself.

"Do...do you forgive me?" Shannon asked hopefully, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.

"I guess. I guess I do. I honestly don't know. I still...I still need some time though," Karo admitted, biting her bottom lip which was a sign of insecurity.

"We did the right thing, princess. Don't forget that," Dean said quietly, calling her by the nickname he only used for her.

He was sorry for yelling at her like that. He didn't even mean to but he couldn't let her talk to and about Shannon like this. He loved this woman, even if he hadn't told her yet.

"I think we will never agree on who was right and who was wrong. Let's just accept that we all have different opinions on this. What happened is in the past and we can't turn back time. We have to stick together, guys. We all need to forgive each other along the way. I can't have you guys fighting when my son is born," Roman said, looking at them all with a serious look on his face.

And that was the most important thing. Joshua, his son, their baby. If it wasn't for him, maybe they would all go their respective ways. Maybe he would have left Karo and maybe Karo would have broken off her relationships with Dean and Shannon. Nobody really knew. But they were in a situation where they couldn't just do what they wanted. At least Karo and Roman couldn't. They were responsible for that little human being that was growing in her belly and that had to be their first priority.

"Forgiven but not forgotten?" Dean more asked than said, looking from Shannon to Karo over to Roman.

They all nodded their heads in agreement. There was nothing else they could do right then and there. Things were going to be difficult but as soon as everything was dead and buried, they would be able to be the friends they had always been. At least that was what they all hoped for.

Karo grimaced slightly when Joshua kicked her again. She knew these weren't contractions, it was still way too early for that but her son knew that she was stressed out about something. She needed to calm down if she wanted him to stop. She had strained her baby so much in the last few days and now it was showing.

"Are you okay, babygirl?" Roman asked concerned after seeing how she winced.

"Yeah...I'm okay. It's just...Joshua is very active right now," she replied, caressing her belly and trying to soothe her unborn child.

"You've gotta eat, princess. I bet he's hungry," Dean said, grabbing a slice of bread and making her a sandwich while Roman took away her cup of coffee.

"I doubt it. She ate more than 20 chicken nuggets last night," Roman said with a chuckle before placing his hands on her baby bump as well.

"Maybe she just needs some rest," Shannon suggested, seeing how her friend had closed her eyes while taking deep breaths which made her worry.

"It's okay, guys. I've read that it is normal for a baby to do that in this phase of the pregnancy. But maybe eating and taking a nap afterwards will help," she said, trying to calm everyone down when they started pampering her.

The last two days had been extremely exhausting. Things with Roman were still difficult and her friendship with Dean and Shannon was still a rocky one. She needed to focus on the good things. She needed to be strong for her baby. She just wanted everything to work out again.


	22. She's broken

**Okay, after that awesome double-spear by Roman on RAW, I thought you all might as well want another chapter, am I right? :D (I just pretend he and the boys weren't beat up by the whole roster at the end of the show…no no, that didn't happen lol).**

**Anyways…thanks again for the awesome reviews, messages and the feedback in general. This is the best motivation a writer can get to keep going.**

**Enjoy & review! :)**

Chapter 22: She's broken

Karolina was completely devastated. Roman had left a few days ago and all she got was a quick peck on the lips to say goodbye. Although he was talking to her normally and doing everyday stuff with her, he had kept his distance. He was still not able to forgive her, despite saying he had, and he had a hard time getting close to her with the image of Seth in the back of his head.

He didn't know how much he hurt Karo with his behaviour. She knew she deserved to suffer but she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. She forced herself to eat every day on a regular basis, even trying pregnancy yoga to calm her nerves so Joshua wouldn't feel how stressed out she was.

But one thing she couldn't change. And that was the crying. She kept crying and crying and crying. Because she felt lonely and heartbroken. Roman only called once in a while, mostly in the evenings when he was in the hotel room. But he would never ask how she was. He wanted to know about their baby. That was all.

She was once again sitting on the couch, tears streaming down her face while she held a picture of her and Roman in her hands. She missed him. He would be back home tomorrow but that didn't really change anything. He would be with her but he would still be far away.

The ringing of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She bent over slightly, grabbing the phone from the living room table and crying even harder when she saw that it was Seth who was calling her. Should she even pick up? Should she talk to him? What did he have to say to her anyways?

"Hello?" she said quietly after deciding she wanted to talk to him.

"Karolina...hey, it's Seth," he said as a matter-of-fact, his heart beating fast in his chest.

Since getting busted by Roman, they hadn't really talked. He had texted her a few times but she hadn't answered any of his messages. Probably because Roman was around. But he knew that now he was gone.

"Hey. How are you?" she said, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Do you want the truth?" he asked, his heart breaking in his chest when he realized that she was crying.

She remained silent, not sure what to say. Did she want him to be honest? Or would she feel better if he just told her he was fine?

"I miss you Karolina, so much," he said truthfully, sighing heavily when he heard her sobbing.

He wished he could just go back to Pensacola and comfort her. He wanted to hug her and kiss her and tell her how beautiful and wonderful she was. But he was stuck in Iowa, knowing better than to go back to Florida especially if he didn't want to get killed by his former best friend.

"Why are you crying, sweetheart?" he asked, although he was sure that there were tons of reasons for her to cry.

"I'm not sure if you're the person I would want to talk to about it," she admitted, taking a deep breath and trying to retain her composure.

"You know you can talk to me about everything," he countered, wanting her to open up and be honest with him.

They'd never had any secrets from each other. But things had changed. Although they still considered each other best friends, there was a tension between them that was undeniable.

"I'm sure it will make you happy to know that things between Roman and me are fucked up. He won't kiss me, he won't touch me...all he does is be civil around me so that I don't freak out," she huffed, another wave of tears building in her eyes.

"That doesn't make me happy. Not at all," he replied honestly, sighing heavily when he realized what he had done. "I've told you that I didn't want this to happen. I was selfish when I tried to seduce you. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for loving you. But that won't change, at least not quickly. I didn't want to ruin things between you and Roman. Please believe me."

Her whole body was shaking with sobs. She believed him. She really did. But it didn't change the fact that her relationship with Roman was about to end. She could feel it. It was the way he acted towards her. He didn't want her anymore. He couldn't love her anymore. And she couldn't even blame him.

"I miss you, Seth," she said in between sobs, her heart heavy in her chest when she thought what she was about to tell him.

She hated being alone. It had felt good having him around and now that he was gone she felt even more horrible than she ever had. She had nobody to talk to. Not Shannon, not Dean, not Roman and not even Seth. Although she was on the phone with him now, she knew that she actually shouldn't be.

"I miss you too, baby. I wish I could hold you in my arms and..." he started but she didn't let him finish his sentence.

"Stop Seth. Don't say it. Please. We…we can't do this anymore. You have to stop calling or texting. As much as I miss you and as much as I want you in my life, we need to stop talking for now. I have to make up with Roman and with you interfering it will not work. I'm sorry to say this. It hurts me to do this to you, trust me. But we don't have any other choice," she said, more and more tears escaping her eyes.

"You...you don't want me in your life anymore?" he stuttered, his heart shattering into a million pieces.

"I want you in my life. You know that. But I can't have you in my life anymore, Sethie," she replied, completely breaking down now.

She knew she had killed him with her words. And she felt horrible for doing it. She loved him. He was the closest friend she had ever had. And now she ripped his heart out of his chest, threw it to the ground and stomped on it over and over again.

Seth's world was crashing down around him. He felt numb, empty even. She didn't want him anymore. She wanted him to leave her alone so that she could win Roman's heart back. If he had known that things would end like this, he wouldn't have tried to make a move on her.

"I guess this is it then," he said, sniffling quietly and running a hand over his face.

Yes, he cried. But he couldn't help it. He had lost it all. He had lost Karolina, he had lost Roman. He could only hope that Dean and Shannon would still talk to him. But they probably wouldn't. He didn't deserve their friendship anyways. In a way he betrayed them all.

"I'm so sorry, Sethie," she said while running a shaky hand through her hair.

"It's Seth, Karolina. Not Sethie," he said sternly, not wanting her to use any cute nicknames for him when she wanted to get rid of him.

Karo swallowed hard. She had never heard him talk to her like that. But it was understandable. He was mad and hurt and maybe even disappointed. But it was for the better. She wanted and needed Roman back at her side and for that she needed to stop talking to Seth.

"I love you Karolina, please never forget that," he said after a few moments of silence before very quickly hanging up the phone without letting her say another word.

It was over. Their friendship was ruined. She would never go to concerts with him anymore, she would never be able to hug him and laugh about his stupid jokes or goofy faces. They were done. Once and for all. Joshua didn't have a godfather anymore. They had to look for someone else. Everything would be changing, although that was the last thing she really wanted.

She let her phone fall into her lap, not having the strength to hold it anymore. She couldn't think straight anymore. The tears wouldn't stop to fall down her cheeks and her whole body was shaking as she was sobbing uncontrollably. Seth was in the past. He was gone.

She had no idea how long she had been crying when the doorbell rang. She didn't expect anyone and she honestly wasn't in the mood for any visitors. She wanted to be left alone. She wanted to cry and pity herself and just feel like the sorry piece of shit that she was.

But once again the doorbell rang. And again and again and again. The person on the other side on the door seemed to be persistent and so she had no other choice but to open it.

Slowly she made her way to the front door, wiping her face with her sweatshirt to dry her puffy cheeks. She hastily opened the door and was surprised to see Roman's mother on the other side.

She was shocked. She hadn't seen his parents ever since Roman found out about her and Seth. She was too embarrassed and afraid to look into their eyes again but now here she was. And she had no idea why she was here in the first place. Maybe she came to make Karo feel even worse by blaming everything on her. Who knew?

"Patricia," she said dumbfounded, swallowing hard and looking at her future mother-in-law astonished.

"Karolina, oh my God, sweetie...what's wrong?" she asked appalled when she saw the broken woman in front of her.

Karo looked pale. She had dark circles under her eyes. Eyes that were blood-shot from all the crying. Her hair was messy and her cheeks looked sunken.

Patricia made her way into the house, closing the door behind her and taking Karo's hand into hers, leading her into the living room so that they could both sit on the couch.

"Sweetheart, why are you crying?" she asked, worry and concern written all over her face.

Karo couldn't help but start sobbing again. Here was the mother of her fiancé, the woman that was probably more than disappointed in her. And she cried. She cried in her arms although she didn't even deserve her comfort.

Patricia had her arms wrapped around her tightly, rocking her back and forth and caressing her back soothingly. Roman had told them about what happened between her and Seth and she would lie if she said she wasn't mad and hurt by Karo's actions. But she also knew that this young woman in her arms was sorry for what she did. And she shouldn't be suffering like that. She was carrying her grandchild and she needed to be healthy and strong for the baby.

"It's because of Roman...I miss him so much," she replied in between sobs.

"But he will be back tomorrow, sweetie," Patricia said, understanding that she missed him but that was the life of a professional wrestler's wife.

"No...I…I don't miss him like that. He...he doesn't love me anymore," she started before straightening up and looking at Patricia with sadness in her eyes. "He doesn't want to be with me anymore."

"Why would you say that?" she asked confused, not remembering that Roman had told them about breaking things off with her.

He wasn't the kind of guy to run away when things became difficult. He was a responsible young man and he would never leave her alone with their baby. That wasn't who he was. She didn't raise her son like that.

"He keeps his distance, no affection at all. He asks about Joshua but he doesn't care about me. I know I deserve this. I deserve to suffer but I don't think I still have the strength to keep going like this. I need his love. I need for him to wrap his arms around me and tell me that he loves me. But he doesn't. It's like living with someone who is just a friend. If you could even call it that," she explained, the tears still coming although actually there couldn't be any more left after all the crying during the last few days.

Patricia remained silent for a few moments, fathoming what her future daughter-in-law had just told her. She couldn't believe Roman would be acting like that. She knew he was heartbroken and maybe even his pride had been hurt, but that didn't give him the right to treat his fiancée like that.

"Listen to me, beautiful. He does love you. I know he does. He told us and that doesn't change so quickly. He is hurt, Karolina. And I know this doesn't justify his behaviour. Tell him how you feel when he comes back. Tell him exactly what you've just told me now. He needs to know what's going on," she said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

And maybe Patricia was right. Karolina had to stop acting as if everything was alright. It wasn't. And he had to know what he was doing to her. All of this had to stop. Immediately. Or else things would become even more difficult soon.

**…**

"Hey mom, what's up?" Roman said cheerfully after picking up the phone, seeing at the caller ID that it was his mother calling him.

"Roman, we need to talk. Do you have a few minutes?" she asked immediately, the tone in her voice stern.

"Uhm yeah...sure...what is it?" he asked quietly, sensing that something was very wrong.

"Son, you have to stop with your little mind games. Karo is at the end of her rope. She's been constantly crying for the last few days and she is exhausted. I understand that you are still hurt by her actions but this needs to stop now. She needs you and I'm sure you love her. So act like the man that you are and forgive her," she said in an authoritative voice before starting the engine of her car and leaving Karo's driveway.

"Has she eaten?" he immediately asked, concerned about her health.

"Is this all you care about? I know you worry about your son but stop being so selfish," she rebuked him, not believing that this was all he had to say about that.

Roman remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. He knew that his mother was right. And he actually hated treating Karo like this. He thought it was good to let her learn her lesson but maybe he went too far with his behaviour.

"Do you love her, Roman?" she asked curiously when he didn't answer.

"Yes...Yes, I do love her. I...I was so disappointed in her that I thought it was right to show her just how much. I...mom, I'm sorry," he said meekly.

"You don't have to apologize to me, son. You have to apologize to her. Be a real man and get your act together. Call me tomorrow evening after you talked to her. And now be safe, honey. I love you," she said firmly before quickly hanging up the phone, not having anything more to say as she was sure she gave her son enough to think about.

Roman pushed the cell phone into his pocket before taking a deep breath. He had no idea just how hard he was being with Karo. He thought she needed this little punishment but he really crossed the line this time. He had to talk to her. He needed to make things up with her. He loved her and he wanted to be with her. So he had to buck up and be the man his mother had taught him to be.

**…**

Roman made his way from the living room to the kitchen, searching for Karolina as she was nowhere to be found. But she wasn't in either rooms nor in their garden or anywhere else downstairs.

He had been thinking a lot over the last couple of hours. After talking to his mother he had realized that what he was doing was wrong and unfair. He had no idea that he went too far with his actions. He had planned to stop treating her like that soon but in this case soon was not enough. _Soon_ had to be _now_. She meant the world to him and he had to let her know that. He knew she needed to hear the truth.

"Karolina?" he yelled, hoping she would answer but after waiting for a few seconds nothing happened.

She must be upstairs somewhere. Maybe she was under the shower or doing laundry. He hoped nothing had happened to her as she was normally downstairs when she knew he would come home.

"Karo, where are you?" he once again yelled while going upstairs.

But still no reaction. He opened the bathroom door but she wasn't in there. She could only be in the bedroom then. He quickly made his way over to their room, knocking lightly before opening the door slowly. And there she was, lying on their bed curled up with her arms wrapped around her body, sniffling quietly.

"Karo, baby, hey...," he said softly before making his way over to her, sitting down on the bed and placing a hand on her shoulder while she was facing him with her back.

"Don't. Just leave me alone," she said in between sobs, not wanting him to get too close only for him to let her know again that he didn't want her anymore.

"Babygirl, what's wrong?" he asked, surprised when she pushed his hand away.

She had never acted like this towards him. It didn't matter how serious their fights were but until now he had always been able to calm her down with his touch. But this time it was different. Everything was different.

She slowly turned around, her eyes finding his immediately and he was shocked to see her like that. That wasn't the woman he fell in love with. She was broken, she wasn't herself anymore. And he realized once again that all of this was his fault.

"Stop making this so difficult for me. Just tell me if you want me to leave, Roman. Stop doing this to me. I can't...I can't do this anymore. I understand that you don't love me anymore but don't play with my feelings. Just be honest and tell me to fuck off," she cried before grabbing another Kleenex and blowing her nose.

He just looked at her perplexed, not understanding what she was trying to tell him. Did she really think that he wanted her to leave? Did he really push her that far? He started to panic. He was afraid that she had already made up her mind. Was she going to leave? Has she already planned to move out and live without him?

"I don't want you to leave. I...oh my God, I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were feeling this way," he said nervously before rubbing his face. "I love you, babygirl. I love you with all my heart. Stay here. Stay with me. Please don't go."

He looked at her pleadingly, afraid that he would lose her now. It would be his own fault. He couldn't even blame her if she left. He was such a dumbass. Such a stupid idiot. How could he think he did the right thing by treating her like that? Who had he become? His hurt pride got the best of him and he acted like a fool.

"You're just saying this because of Joshua. You want me to stay here so that you have him in your life. This isn't about me. Admit it," she said with a hint of reproach in her voice before moving backwards quickly when he tried to grab her hand.

"Karolina, listen to me now. _I. Love. You! _I was stupid, ok? I made a mistake. Just like you did. But...we have to forgive each other. Yeah, that sounds so easy now, doesn't it? I don't even have the right to ask for your forgiveness. But please...I...I don't even know what else to say. I've been thinking a lot and I came to the conclusion that I want you back, babygirl. I _need_ you back. I want us to be together again. I know we both might have some trust issues now but let's talk about things. Let's work this out," he begged, finally able to take her hand into his without her snapping it back.

She looked at him unsure, tears still streaming down her face. Did he really mean it? Did he really love her? Or was he just saying that so that she wouldn't run away? She was confused. She didn't know what to think or believe.

"Are you...uhm...are you sure?" she asked hesitantly, afraid of once again getting her heart broken.

"I mean it. I'm sorry this had to happen. It took me too long to realize what's going on. It's a shame my mom had to lecture me to make me finally open my eyes. But Karo...you broke my heart. I still can't believe that all of this happened but...but I know that I have to get over it. I need to move on and start trusting you again. But you also need to trust me. You need to talk to me if anything is bothering you. Tell me if there is anything you need or want. That's the only thing that can make this work. I can only help you if you let me know what's on your mind. I…I just wish you would have told me. You should have been honest to me," he said, lifting her hand and kissing the back of it softly.

"I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want to hurt you. I...I'm so sorry, Roman," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "I need you. I need your love. Don't leave me hanging here. I…We miss you."

She placed her free hand on her baby bump, caressing it gently and trying to soothe Joshua who was still kicking her powerfully. That poor kid had been suffering a lot recently and he needed some rest. With Roman being back, and hopefully in the way she needed him to be, things might become better again.

Roman let go of her hand and slowly moved closer to her. He looked at her intently before pushing up her shirt and watching in awe how much her belly had grown. He placed both of his hands on her bump, caressing it softly and letting his son know that he was finally back.

"Cookie, hey, daddy is back," he said before moving a little so that he could press his ear against her skin. "I'm so sorry for everything, son. I was such a fool. But I love you. And I love your mommy. Don't be scared anymore, little man. It's gonna be all good again."

He started placing sweet kisses all over her belly, instantly feeling how Joshua seemed to relax. The movements inside of her were slowly stopping, telling them both that he must have fallen asleep.

"I don't know how you do it but you have such a calming effect on him," she said with a weak smile on her face before cupping his cheek with her hand.

She looked at him intently, getting lost in his beautiful greyish eyes. She had missed him so much. The last few weeks without him had been awful. She was so happy that they finally talked. That they both let each other know what they were feeling. They needed this. They both had to be honest with each other from now on.

He was sure that she didn't have the courage to take the next step. He had to be the one to make a move now. He straightened up again cautiously, his face moving closer to hers, both of them not breaking the eye-contact. He looked back and forth between her lips and eyes now, his breath shallow and his heart beating fast in his chest. It was as if he would kiss her for the first time. He was excited and nervous both at the same time.

He slowly closed the distance between them, closing his eyes and pressing his lips onto hers softly, moaning quietly when he finally felt her again. He had missed that. He had missed kissing her, feeling her, tasting her. He couldn't believe that he had been able to be without her for so long.

He licked along her bottom lip gently, asking her for entrance which she gladly gave him. As soon as their tongues touched, there was a rush running through their veins that was almost indescribable. It was an addictive feeling. A feeling they both didn't want to stop. Their tongues played with each other passionately, the kiss becoming more heated with each second passing by. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his body close to hers. He could do this all night. Just lying there and kissing her. Just Roman and Karolina. Like it was supposed to be.

"I love you so much, babygirl," he said in between kisses, burying his hand into her hair while caressing her back with the other one. "So so so much."

"I love you too, honey. I'm so sorry," she replied, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"Shh, stop crying...it's all good. Let's move on, sweetheart," he said, wiping away the tear with his thumb before once again placing full plump lips onto hers.

She enjoyed being in his arms. She didn't want him to ever let go of her again. She was overwhelmed by her feelings. A lot had happened during the last few days and even weeks, and she really couldn't believe that finally they found their way back to each other.

They wouldn't have sex that night. All they did was kiss and caress each other. They held each other close, enjoying the feeling of being together again. That was all they needed. They needed to show each other just how much love they had in their hearts.

And most importantly: they talked. They talked all night. About everything under the sun. And they were honest with each other. There were no secrets anymore. They had to be truthful and faithful or else this wouldn't work out.

They both hoped that finally everything would be fine again. Because it was obvious that one more crisis could be the end of them. And that's something nobody wanted to happen. Only God would know what was going to happen next…assuming that there was such a thing up there in heaven.


	23. Does God really exist?

**Well, as there is a holiday here in Germany tomorrow and as I'm sure you all might be busy celebrating Halloween as well, I'm now giving you a new chapter.**

**I still hope it reaches you before you all go partying.**

**A special THANK YOU to ShannonTheAwesomeOne: This is it, babe. We have been brainstorming about this chapter, about this whole thing for months. And now here we are. THANK YOU for coming up with some awesome ideas. I'm so glad we could work on them together. I used some of your awesome lines and I'm thankful for having the opportunity to do so. THANK YOU soooo much!**

**Then thanks to all my wonderful ladies who keep encouraging and supporting me all the way:**

**Pezziecoyote, rrsexybeast, mrsrkoshield, Shannon5288, Insane Cali Gurl, melzabelza, benova13, princessreigns, DeeMarie426, DaShadowAngel, soagirlforever, angelsdee327 and all the other wonderful readers, reviewers and followers.**

**Wow…why the hell am I writing so much blabla? I'm sure you all wanna read the chapter. So I keep my mouth shut for now lol**

**Enjoy & review!**

Chapter 23: Does God really exist?

_*Please stop texting me, Seth. It's for the best, Karo xx*_

Seth read her text over and over again. He had hoped that she would have changed her mind. He had been praying that she only said all those things in the heat of the moment. She had been crying on the phone when she told him to leave her alone. But he was so sure that she didn't mean it like that. But she did.

Although asking him to stop, he had kept texting her. Things like _'Please give me another chance'_ or _'Karo, please don't do this to me. I need you in my life.'_ Nothing else.

She had never reacted to any of those messages though. But today she finally did. And it wasn't the kind of reaction he had hoped for.

She was serious about this. Dead serious. And he couldn't believe that she was. He knew she actually didn't want them to break things off. She did it because of Roman and somehow he could even understand it. But then again he couldn't. Although he had fucked things up, he was hoping for another chance. He knew he wouldn't make a move on her again. He wasn't weary of life. But he wanted to be her friend again. That was all he would ask for.

But she didn't care. She didn't want to talk to him anymore and he would have to accept that. It killed him. He felt alone, he was lonely. Nobody was around while he was in Iowa. Some old friends called once in a while to check if he was up for a drink in one of the bars in town but he always declined. He felt better staying at home and feeling sorry for himself.

He knew he would be back on the road in about two more months. His knee was healing pretty fast and he had made a lot of progress in the last few weeks. But it was obvious that he wasn't keen on being Roman's tag team partner again. He didn't even know if things would work out between them after all the drama.

He deleted her message. And all the messages he had sent her. He needed to clear his head and start moving on. He couldn't live in the past anymore. He had to focus on the future and be the cheerful and good-natured man he had always been – before he met Karo.

But he wasn't sure if that was even possible. And he soon would learn that it indeed wasn't.

**…**

"Hmm, that feels soooo good," Karo said before shoving another spoon full of chocolate ice-cream into her mouth, her eyes closed tightly.

Roman chuckled when he looked at the satisfied expression on her face. She was adorable when she was like that.

Another two weeks had passed and she was 8-months' pregnant now. Her back and ankles hurt like crazy and that's why Roman decided to massage them before he would have to go back on tour the day after. Things had become difficult for Karo. She was limited in her mobility and she started to feel uncomfortable in her body. Joshua kept growing and growing and that meant he put a lot of pressure on her bladder and some of her organs. She knew she had to wait for another three or four weeks but she was ready to finally give birth.

"Hey, leave some ice-cream for me, babygirl," he complained while still massaging her ankles gently, watching her as she was enjoying the sweet and icy delicacy he'd just bought her as she had been craving for it.

"Do you deserve it?" she asked, swaying the spoon in front of her face before giggling when he raised his eye-brow at her.

"Tell me what else I need to do to deserve it," he said in a deep and husky voice.

She swallowed hard when she looked into his eyes. They had darkened and were reflecting desire and longing, a longing for her that he hadn't felt in a few weeks now.

After they had talked things through, they had taken it one step at a time. They knew that rushing things would be counterproductive and that was something they both really didn't need anymore. They started trusting each other again, although Roman still felt insecure when she was busy with her cell phone. He had no idea if Seth was still texting but he had to remind himself that she had promised him to stop contacting him.

"Well...there are a few things you could do...but then again...uhm...I'm not really sure if you're up for it," she said, now looking at him unsure as she didn't know if he even felt like having sex with her.

She wanted it. And she needed it. They hadn't been intimate for a while now. Not only because of the Seth drama, but also because either time was lacking or she didn't feel like it due to the changes of her body in the last trimester of her pregnancy. But now she did. But did he? Things wouldn't be easy anymore. They wouldn't be able to have sex with either one on top of the other and she also didn't have the strength to stay on her hands and knees for much longer.

"I'm always up for it, babe," he said before gently letting go of her ankles again.

He got on his knees and crawled up to where she was leaning against the headboard on the bed, taking the pint of ice-cream away from her and putting it on the nightstand.

"Roman, I'm not sure if this is such a good idea...," she started but trailed off when he began kissing her neck.

"Do you want me, baby?" he whispered into her ear before nibbling her earlobe, making her whole body shiver.

Oh yes, she wanted him. She wanted him with everything she had and she had to stop worrying too much. He was the man she was going to marry after their baby was born and she knew she could trust him with her body. He would love her even in the current state she was in.

"Yes...yes, I want you. Please...I missed you," she whispered back before closing her eyes, enjoying his lips on her skin and his hands roaming all over her body.

It felt so good having him touch her. She completely let loose and relaxed in his arms while he sent chills up and down her spine by caressing her sensitive skin.

"I want you to take your clothes off, baby," he demanded, his voice soft but firm at the same time.

He wanted to feel her body pressed against his without any disturbing pieces of clothing in between them. He wanted the whole experience and he wanted to kiss each and every inch of her beautiful body.

She slowly moved to the edge of the bed and gratefully took Roman's extended hand to help her up as she had difficulty lifting herself from the bed with all the weight she had gained. While she started unbuttoning her blouse and opening her bra, he fidgeted with the loop on her pants, sighing in frustration when he couldn't unknot it after trying several times which made her giggle.

"That's not funny. Help me with this," he whined and stuck out his bottom lip while looking up into her beautiful blue eyes.

She quickly unknotted the loop of her pants' ties before letting him push them down together with her panties so that she could cautiously step out of them. And now there she was. Karolina. The woman who would soon give birth to his baby boy. And she was beautiful. She looked absolutely stunning while standing in front of him completely naked.

"You're gorgeous, baby," he said before placing his hands on her baby bump, placing butterfly kisses all over it.

She didn't say a word and remained silent. She had no idea what to say anyways. It wouldn't make sense to argue with him about her appearance when he clearly found that she was attractive like that when she certainly didn't.

She freed his long dark hair from his ponytail before softly running a hand through them while licking her lips in anticipation. She loved his long hair. And she loved it even more when he flung them around while they were all wet. That was something he always did when he was in the ring and she more than once let out a soft moan while sitting on her living room couch when she was watching him on RAW.

"You're wearing way too many clothes," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

She watched him as he stood up, his eyes never leaving hers when he looked down at her before lifting his shirt over his head and throwing it away aimlessly. She immediately grabbed his belt and pulled him closer to her, standing on her tiptoes to press her lips against his. She could feel his jean-clad erection pressed against her belly, the wetness between her legs increasing even more now. She wanted him so badly and she could hardly wait any longer.

She unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans before hastily jerking them down together with his boxer brief so that they were now dangling around his ankles.

She bit her bottom lip when she clasped his throbbing length, not stopping to look at it intently while stroking him once...and twice...very slowly. She knew she wouldn't be able to go down on her knees, although she really wanted to, so she decided to let her index finger run over the tip of his head, collecting the precum that had built on it and moving her now wet finger to her mouth to suck on it. Roman swallowed hard and let out a soft growl while watching her do this, his cock becoming even harder now.

"Lay down on the bed sweetheart," he requested softly, staring at her round and firm ass when she crawled in the middle of their bed, carefully laying down on her back and waiting for him to do the next move. She had no idea how he wanted to do this now. They certainly couldn't experiment now.

"Okay, now lay down on your side with your back facing me," he said, waiting patiently for her to do what she was told before cautiously moving behind her, his well-toned chest now pressed against her back.

"Now let me see how wet you are for me, baby," he whispered into her ear, deeply inhaling her scent before searching for her wet core from behind, his fingers quickly finding her clit which he softly rubbed while gently biting her neck.

He moved from the small bundle of nerves back down to tease her slick folds, very slightly plunging two fingers inside of her, making her moan out loud. She was more than ready for him which surprised him. He hadn't really done a lot to pleasure her but it seemed that she had missed him just as much as he had missed her.

"Uhh...so wet for me...do you want my cock now? Tell me, Karolina. Do you want me inside of you?" he asked, his heavy breathing against her ear arousing her even more.

"Yes...please...I want you. Don't make me wait any longer," she panted, sighing in frustration when his fingers abruptly retreated.

He took his shaft into one of his hands, spreading her legs slightly and guiding himself in between them before finally finding her wet entrance, inch by inch entering her which made them both moan out loud in pleasure.

"God...I missed you," he whispered, pressing her legs together again and leaning back a little so that he could easily thrust into her from behind. They had never made love in that position but with him spooning her it was the best they could do. They didn't want to risk crushing their baby with his weight.

"I missed you too. This feels so good," she said breathlessly, groaning when one of his hands cupped her breast, rubbing her nipple with his thumb and index finger, making it hard.

He kept her in place with his arm, not wanting her to exhaust herself by meeting his thrusts which she automatically did. She actually needed to rest more as any kind of strain would make things even more difficult for her and that was something he didn't want to risk.

He slid in and out of her for endless minutes, her increasing wetness making it easy for him to slide out of her only to plunge himself into her again even deeper. His chest was pressed against her back again, his hand now moving from her breast in between her legs to start stimulating her clit. He felt that he wouldn't last that much longer but he wouldn't stop before she had her orgasm. She was his first priority and he wanted her to be satisfied.

"How does that feel, babygirl? Do you like that?" he whispered into her ear, his thrusts now erratic but nonetheless still deep and intense. He was close. Very close.

"Yes...oh god...please don't stop...," she said before cupping his hand with hers to show him at what pace she needed him to pleasure her.

If he kept going like that, she was sure that she would soon be fainting. She was in heaven. The things she was feeling were even more intense than ever before. She couldn't even explain it.

"Roman...I'm gonna cum...," she panted, her walls tightening around his cock while he kept thrusting into her from behind, his fingers now rubbing her swollen nub furiously.

"Me too, baby. Come on...cum for me...cum for me, babygirl," he groaned, the feeling of her tightening around him all he needed to let loose.

He could feel how she was milking him, the familiar pulsating of her on-going orgasm almost sending him over the edge. After a few more intense thrusts he squirted his warm seed deep inside of her, holding his breath until he had completely emptied himself before collapsing against her back.

They remained in this position for a few minutes, both of them trying to catch their breaths and slowly coming down from the high they had just experienced. Both of them did not only feel satisfied after their sexual encounter, no, they also felt even closer than they had ever done before. This was an act of love. A love that was deep and unconditional. Maybe this was what they needed to completely forgive and trust each other again. This showed them both how much they belonged together. Roman and Karolina...and Joshua, of course.

He gently slid out of her, quickly moving away from her slightly so that she could lie down on her back, his eyes immediately finding hers.

"Was that comfortable for you, babygirl?" he asked, meaning the position they had just been in.

"Yes. It felt amazing. Thank you, baby," she said quietly before cupping his cheek with one of her hands.

He prepped himself on his elbow, looking down at her with a smile on his face. She thanked him? What for? Having sex with her? She really was one of a kind.

"I have no idea what you thank me for but maybe I don't even wanna know," he said with a chuckle when he saw her giggle. "I love you, Karolina. And I can't wait to finally be back for good in a week," he said happily before placing a sweet kiss on her lips.

Roman would have his last show in about six days. Together with Triple H they came up with a storyline which would put him out with an injury for a few months. He wanted to see how his son grew up, even if it was only for a while. He wanted to support her as much as he could. He wanted them to be a family.

"I love you too. I can't wait either. I wish you could stay already," she whined theatrically when he rolled his eyes at her.

She was goofy sometimes. But he loved this about her. That's the Karolina he fell in love with. The woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was everything he'd ever wanted. And he couldn't wait to be back in six days.

If he only knew he would be back earlier than he would have liked to...

**…**

Roman had been gone since two days and nobody would ever understand how happy Karo would be if he was finally back in Pensacola.

She hadn't been feeling well ever since he left. Her back was killing her and her whole body hurt. Joshua was moving quite a lot at the moment. More than he had ever done before. She wasn't sure but something didn't feel right.

She sat down on the couch when she felt a sharp pain in her lower back. She started to panic but reminded herself to stay calm and control her breathing. She needed more rest. She should stop doing all of these chores she did to kill time. Her body was demanding her to relax. It had always been like that when she exhausted herself too much. It was a warning her body sent her and she truthfully had always taken the reactions seriously and immediately laid down for a nap or something.

But it was different this time. Nothing helped. No breathing exercises, not lying down, no yoga... no nothing.

She needed to let somebody know about her current situation. But in her panic she didn't know who to call first. Roman? Patricia? The midwife? Or even the hospital?

After contemplating for a minute or two, she had decided she needed to call Roman first. Maybe he would be able to calm her down and tell her that everything was fine. He'd always had that effect on her and their baby and maybe now he did as well.

"Hey babygirl...how's it?" he asked cheerfully after finally picking up the phone.

"Roman...something's wrong. I think I'm having contractions. It hurts. It's...I don't know how to explain but it doesn't feel right," she said sniffling, a single tear streaming down her face after hearing his familiar deep voice.

"WHAT? I mean...okay...listen sweetie, lean back and take a deep breath, ok? Close your eyes and try to relax as much as you can, alright?" he asked, trying to be as calm as he could but deep inside he wanted to scream.

He was nervous. It was too early. She still had another three weeks left until due date and he wasn't sure what to do now.

"I'm afraid," she said in between sobs.

"Babygirl...let me call my mom, ok? I will send her over and then she will bring you to the hospital, ok? I'm coming as soon as I can. Stop crying, sweetheart. It's all good...you're not alone," he said, trying to soothe her as much as he could.

After hanging up the phone, he quickly made his way to their locker room where he found Dean and Shannon, startling them as they were making out wildly.

"Guys...we need to go to Pensacola. NOW," he demanded, throwing his ring gear and other belongings into his bag and throwing his cell phone into Shannon's direction.

"Call my mom. Tell her Karo has contractions and that she needs to bring her to the hospital. Fast," he said, nervously running a hand over his face.

"She went into labor?" Dean asked shocked after Shannon got up to make her call in the hallway, leaving the two men alone.

"She's not sure. She's in pain and she says that something feels wrong. God Dean...I...it's too early...fuck," he said, looking at his best friend with sadness and fear in his eyes.

"Relax, man. Maybe it's false alarm. She doesn't know how to deal with this...I mean, I'm pretty sure having a baby is something you can't be prepared for. Although they try with these weird prenatal classes," Dean said, patting his friend's shoulder and looking at him intently.

He honestly had no idea what else to say. He wasn't the kind of guy who was good at comforting others. He wished he could do anything to calm down his best friend but there was nothing else he could do other than simply be there for him.

"Okay, she's on her way to Karo. What about us? Are we going there now as well?" Shannon asked after storming into the room again.

"Well, I am...I don't know about you guys but..." Roman started but was immediately interrupted by his friends.

"We're coming along. Let's get going then," they both said simultaneously, quickly grabbing their belongings and following Roman out of the building as fast as they could.

Karo and Roman had both decided to make Shannon and Dean their son's godparents. With Seth out of the picture that was the only possibility they had. And after once again clearing the air between them all a few days ago, it was a very good choice in their opinion.

They were in Panama City at the moment and they would need about two hours to make it back to Pensacola. Roman was nervous. He wished he could beam himself there or something. Two hours could be a very long time.

They would call Hunter later to let him know what was going on. He would probably understand, being a father of three daughters himself. Sometimes there were more important things than wrestling. That was clearly one of them.

Roman sat down behind the wheel, waiting for his friends to get seated as well before quickly starting the engine and taking off with squealing tires. He was sure he would break a few traffic regulations but he honestly didn't care. This was a state of emergency.

His cell phone, which was fixed in the cradle of his rental car, went off, signalling that his mother was calling him.

"Mom, how is she?" he immediately asked, having her on loud speaker so that he could drive without being too distracted.

"I think she's really having contractions. She's having them every few minutes, constantly. The span between them is still about 8 minutes. But I think we should go to the hospital. I called her midwife already and she will meet us there," Patricia explained, probably being the only one of them all who seemed to be calm. "Have a safe trip, son. Don't rush. I'm here with her...don't worry."

And with that she hung up the phone.

Roman didn't know if he should feel relieved about the information he had just been told. She was having contractions every 8 minutes? Out of nowhere?

But maybe they didn't come out of nowhere. Maybe she had been feeling them but hadn't really paid much attention, knowing that once in a while something like that could happen. The pain she had endured during the last two days might have been some kind of contractions. She just didn't know it. But compared to all these other times, now it seemed like it was really starting.

"Okay...relax, alright? It's all good. Your mom is going to bring her to the hospital and they will help her there. She will be in good hands. Roman, a lot of babies were born even earlier in the pregnancy. No big deal, ok? Now don't stress yourself too much. She needs you when you're with her later," Shannon tried to reason, knowing that her friend was confused and scared.

But maybe he shouldn't be. It might have been a little too early for little Joshua to make his appearance, but it wasn't anything new. Things like that happened every day.

"She's right, man. Calm down. It's not gonna help if you freak out," Dean added, looking at Roman intently and trying to read his face but he could not tell what was going on in his friend's head.

He had offered to drive but Roman declined. He knew he wouldn't have the patience to let anyone else drive when he urgently had to be with his fiancée.

Shannon pulled out her cell phone quietly, secretly taking a picture of how Roman's hands were clutching the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the pressure. She immediately opened her twitter app and tweeted to let the whole world know that finally _that_ day had come:

_ShannonDuh: Roman Jr has impeccable timing. #KarolinaWentIntoLabor #DRIVEFASTER"_

After writing the text, she attached the picture she had just taken and sent the tweet into the World Wide Web.

Shannon was excited. She had been excited during Karo's whole pregnancy. And now it was going to happen. She was going to be a godmother and she couldn't be any prouder. She wondered what the little boy would look like. Maybe like Roman? Or like Karolina? Or a mixture of both of them? It didn't matter. She was sure their baby would be beautiful either way.

Just two minutes later Dean's cell phone beeped. He normally wasn't the kind of guy to text or call a lot. He hated social media and he was sick of the age of always being available – anytime, anywhere.

He checked his message nonetheless, surprised that it was Seth who texted him.

_*Karolina went into labor? Wtf? Dude, tell me what's going on. Seth*_

Dean took a deep breath, not knowing how to act or what to do now. Should he text him back? Should he be honest and tell him what was going on? It was Seth's right to know the truth. He was still his friend after all. It wasn't his business if he was at odds with Roman or Karo. He still considered Seth his brother and that wouldn't change any time soon.

_*Roman's mom brings her to the hospital now. She seems to have contractions. We're on our way to Pensacola. Dean*_

What else was he supposed to write? He liked to keep it short and sweet. Now it was Seth's decision how to handle this new information he had just received.

And what did Seth do? He quickly put on a shirt, threw a few things into a bag and made his way to the airport as fast as he could. He didn't care what Roman would have to say when he showed up there. Karolina was having her baby and whether they all wanted it or not, he was going to be there when Joshua was born.

In the meantime Karo and Patricia had arrived in the hospital. Unfortunately Sika wasn't able to be there any time soon as he was currently visiting Matt, Roman's brother, in Cincinnati. But he had promised Karo on the phone that they would immediately make their way back to Florida as soon as they could.

Karo was still panicking but Patricia and her midwife Kelly tried their best to calm her down. She needed to relax. She needed all of her strength for the upcoming birth. And most importantly: she shouldn't stress out Joshua. The birth would be exhausting for both of them and considering that she already went into labor, you could tell that her son was already very fidgety.

"I can't give birth yet. I have to wait for Roman. I can't do this without him," she said, taking deep breaths and trying to concentrate on Patricia's hand which was lovingly squeezing hers.

"He will be here soon, sweetheart. Everything will be fine," she said, desperately trying to soothe her future daughter-in-law.

But Patricia knew better. She was sure that something wasn't alright and she was afraid of what was to come. But she shouldn't and couldn't let her fear show. She had to be strong for Karo and support her as much as she could.

Maybe the last few weeks had been too stressing out and exhausting for both Karo and Joshua. Maybe this was a sign that it had been enough already. But there could be so many more reasons for all of this. Nobody could really tell why this was happening. They would have to wait and see.

Karo was in the delivery room when Roman arrived 90 minutes later. She had no idea how he was able to be there that fast but she didn't want to think about it. The most important thing was that he was here with her now. That was all that really mattered.

"Babygirl," he said quietly before quickly making his way over to her bed. "How are you feeling? How is Joshua? Is everything alright?"

Not only were these too many questions at once, but it was also because of another contraction that Karo couldn't answer him. And he was shocked. He was shocked to see the pain on her face and he wished he could take it all away from her. They had been prepared for this moment, but that didn't change the fact that they still weren't ready.

"She has contractions every 5 minutes now. All of this is going extremely fast," Patricia said quietly, not wanting Karo to hear the worry in her voice. "I'll be waiting outside. Good luck, son."

Roman stared after her perplexed before turning his attention back to Karo who immediately grabbed his hand, breathing through the contraction she was just having.

"I'm so scared, Roman," she said quietly, tears building in her eyes.

Karo wasn't blind. She could feel that something was wrong. The doctors kept whispering, they were frowning when they checked their baby's and her heartbeat. It was as if they were hiding something from her. Yes, she was three weeks early but that shouldn't be a big problem. At least not in her opinion. It must be something else.

"Mr Reigns, do you have a minute please?" one of the doctors asked, motioning for him to follow him to the hallway.

"I'll be right back, babygirl," he said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead and quickly making his way outside where the doctor was already waiting for him.

"What is it, doc? What's going on?" Roman asked nervously, scratching his goatee and letting out a heavy sigh.

"We keep checking the vitals of both your son and your fiancée and it seems that your baby's heart isn't strong enough for a normal birth. We are thinking about doing a C-section. It would help both your son and Ms Schneider as well," the doctor explained, looking at Roman sympathetically.

A C-Section? Joshua's heart wasn't strong enough? What did all of this mean? What was going on?

"But...but that's a surgery. I mean...isn't that even more stressful for them?" he asked unsure, his heart beating fast in his chest.

All of this was going so fast. Just two days ago he was with her and everything seemed fine and now here he was, about to become a father but things were chaotic.

"It is indeed a surgery, but compared to a normal birth which could last for hours, this might be the easier way. It is a matter of just a few minutes and this is less straining for the mother and the child," he answered, hoping that Roman would understand what he was trying to tell him.

"Okay…yeah…let's do it this way then. I trust you, doc. Please...take good care of them," he pleaded, his whole body feeling numb.

This was probably a daily routine for the doctors but for him and Karo it was the worst thing that could happen. They wanted to have a normal birth. He wanted to hold her hand and support her while she was delivering their son. But now it was all shot to hell.

Roman went back into the room, quickly rushing to Karo and taking her hand into his. He knew he would have to tell her and he hoped she would accept it without freaking out. He knew she wouldn't want this but they had no other choice.

"Babygirl, listen to me, ok? I just talked to the doc and he said they have to do a C-section," he started, silencing her by putting a finger on her lips when she wanted to say something. "I know you don't want to do this but it's inevitable. Joshua's heart is too weak for a normal birth."

The moment he said those last words, her whole world was crashing down on her. Her baby was sick? He wasn't strong enough? What did that mean? Why her? Why them? Why was this happening?

"Shh, don't cry," he said when silent tears fell down her cheeks. "It's gonna be alright. I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere."

He held her in his arms for what felt like an eternity. He didn't want to let go of her again. Never. He wanted to take her pain away. He wished he could do anything to make her feel better but he knew that there was nothing he could really do.

"Ms Schneider, Mr Reigns, we'll bring you to another room now. We'll prepare everything for the surgery and then we get started as soon as we can," one of the doctors announced, nodding at them both before leaving the room, leaving Roman and Karo alone with a nurse and their midwife.

"Okay Karo, it's time now. Calm down, try to concentrate. And keep reminding yourself that soon you have your baby boy in your arms," Kelly said, squeezing her hand and smiling at her weakly.

At the moment there was nothing she could do to help Karo with. She could only be by her side and encourage her with her words but that was all. Unfortunately.

In silence the nurse navigated the bed out of the current room so that they could make their way into one of the surgery rooms. They were both too occupied with thousands of thoughts that were running through their minds. What was going to happen? Was everything going to be fine?

"Roman, where are you going?" Patricia yelled when she saw them passing the waiting room, quickly getting up and following them with Shannon and Dean right behind her.

"She's having a C-section. It's Joshua's heart. He...he's not strong enough...they...I...oh god," he started but trailed off, tears building in his eyes.

His emotions almost got the best of him but he had to be strong. He knew Karolina could hear what he was saying but he couldn't let her know how scared he was.

Dean just looked at his friend with an unreadable look on his face while Shannon covered her mouth with her hand in shock. They all could feel that something was terribly wrong and they couldn't believe this was really happening.

"Don't worry, honey. It's gonna be fine. Your baby will be fine. Now go and be with your fiancée and support her. We keep waiting her. You're not alone, never forget that," she whispered while hugging him tightly, her heart breaking in her chest when she saw the sadness on her son's face.

Roman just nodded his head and quickly caught up with the nurse who was now pushing Karo's bed into the elevator.

From that moment on things were going really fast. The surgery room had already been prepared, the doctors were wearing their lab coats and Karo was quickly attached to all the machinery necessary to monitor her vital signs.

"Okay Ms Schneider, we are going to anesthetize the area where we will be doing the cut so that you won't be able to feel any pain. It will only take a few seconds until you feel the numbness. This is nothing to be afraid of," the doctor explained while two nurses were hanging up some kind of curtain in front of her face so that she wouldn't be able to see the whole procedure.

Karo just nodded her head and was relieved when she felt that Roman was squeezing her hand softly. She moved her head to be able to look at him and was surprised to see that he was also wearing coat, his mouth covered by a surgical mask.

"They will start soon. Don't be scared, babygirl. I'm here. We're gonna have our baby soon," he said, smiling weakly which she could only tell by the look in his eyes.

He was excited. He was going to be a father soon. They were going to be a family. It would only take a few more minutes and his life would be complete. He couldn't wait any longer. He was a nervous wreck.

"Alright, here we go," one of the doctors announced after a few moments, letting both Karo and Roman now that they would now bring their baby into this world.

All she could feel was a slight pull once in a while, probably where they have done the cut to take out her baby. She kept looking at Roman, not once breaking the eye-contact. She could tell he was nervous. It was the way he was staring at her, the way he held her hand...his whole appearance.

Her thoughts were interrupted when suddenly all hell was breaking loose. Everyone seemed to run around hectically, the doctors yelling at each other and giving orders to the nurses.

"Roman, what's going on?" Karo asked puzzled, the fear visible in her eyes.

He immediately stood up and watched as one of the nurses hurried away with his baby. His baby. He wasn't even able to look at him. What was wrong? What was happening?

"Doc...doc...where are you bringing him? What is it?" he questioned after pulling down his mask, quickly making his was to one of the doctors and staring at him blankly.

"Your son's breathing is unsteady. We are..." the doc started but Roman cut him off immediately.

"Is that the reason he wasn't crying when you pulled him out?" he asked nervously, running a hand over his face when the doctor nodded.

"Mr Reigns, there is nothing you can do right now. We are going to check on your son while we are taking care of your fiancée. She needs stitches and...," he once again said but wasn't able to finish his sentence.

"What? You want me to leave? I'm going nowhere. I'm staying here...I wanna see my son," he started to yell, completely losing it when the doctor tried to gently shove him into the direction of the door. "Don't touch me. You can't make me leave..."

"Mr Reigns, if you want us to save your child's life, then you would better get out of here _now_. As I said, there is nothing you can do right now. I will inform you as soon as I have an update. Now please go," the doctor said sternly, being able to shut Roman up for a moment.

He surrendered. Roman didn't even have the strength to fight anymore. He felt helpless. He was exhausted and confused. And most importantly: he was scared.

They wouldn't even let him go back to Karo so that he could tell her that everything would be fine. No, they immediately shoved him out of the room so that they could carry on with their work. _Mr Reigns, if you want us to save your child's life... _These words keep echoing through his head, over and over again. What did that mean? Saving his child's life? What was wrong? Why didn't he let the doctor explain? He was such an idiot. Something wasn't right with Joshua's breathing. That's all he did understand. But that wasn't enough. He needed to know more. Somebody needed to tell him what all of this meant.

"Roman, is everything alright? What is it?" Shannon asked, immediately jumping out of her seat when she saw that her Samoan friend looked all pale. And that said something.

"I...Joshua...oh my god, I don't know what's going on...I...they...they brought him away. They said his breathing was unsteady. And...and they said something about saving his life. I'm confused. Oh god...I'm scared...and Karolina, she's all alone in there," he stuttered, feeling so numb that he couldn't even hug his mother back.

She had immediately wrapped her arms around his midsection when she saw the look on his face. She instantly knew that something was wrong. Terribly wrong. But she had no idea it was _that_ bad.

The room fell silent in just a matter of minutes. They were all lost in thought, afraid what was going to happen. It felt horrible not knowing what the doctors were doing at the moment. Was Joshua ok? What about Karo? Did she even know what was going on?

Dean and Shannon sat in stiff chairs with trembling hands while Roman paced back and forth, constantly biting his lip nervously. With every step he took, the two soon-to-be godparents became more anxious.

"For fuck's sake, sit down now, Reigns. You're not making things easier by running around like a maniac. There's nothing you can do anyways," Dean complained, finally losing his patience after keeping calm for what felt like a lifetime.

Roman whirled around and growled at his teammate and current best friend, not believing what just came out of his mouth.

"You shut up now, Ambrose. The love of my life is getting her insides stitched back up while our son, my baby, fights for his damn life. You don't know what I'm going through right now, Dean. You have no fucking idea. So I suggest you would better keep your mouth shut now," Roman said, his voice quiet but filled with so much anger.

A few moments passed and the silence was soon broken by the sound of sniffling, Roman's sniffling. The large man plopped himself in a chair and held his head in his hands while he sobbed uncontrollably. Shannon was the first one to react and quickly rushed to his side, while Dean took a few moments to gather his thoughts before joining them together with Patricia. Roman continued to struggle with his emotions as his broad shoulders trembled with each wrack of sobs that escaped his lips.

"I don't know what went wrong. What the hell did I do to deserve this? What have I done wrong? I don't understand," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and trying to choke down the tears that kept coming.

Shannon rubbed Roman's back and laid her head on his shoulder while Dean patted Roman's thigh with as much affection as he could muster. He was speechless. There wasn't anything he could say or do to make his friend feel better. He was just as shocked about the course of action and he felt like he was living a nightmare.

"Hun, you didn't do anything wrong. You and Karolina did everything you could. The prenatal classes, the pregnancy yoga, lotions... You guys did so much. It wasn't your fault. Nothing is your fault. And it's not hers either. It's nobody's fault. You can have a healthy pregnancy but the baby can still have problems. Just like how some people can do stupid things during pregnancy but still have healthy babies. Pregnancy is weird and…," Shannon started but couldn't even finish with her explanation.

"Mr. Reigns?"

In a flash, Shannon's attempt to cheer up Roman was dashed away by the sight of the doctor dressed in scrubs and a white lab coat. Roman jumped up and locked eyes with the doctor. And with one long look, he knew.

_His baby was gone._

His son, his own flesh and blood…Joshua was gone.

He couldn't be. He must be dreaming. That wasn't really happening. That must have been the worst nightmare he'd ever had.

But unfortunately this wasn't a nightmare. It was reality. He had lost his son.

All of a sudden the door to the waiting room was thrust open and in came a disheveled Seth Rollins. His shirt was inside out, he had sweatpants on plus he was wearing socks with sandals. He looked like he just popped out of bed.

"Karo's in labor!?" he asked, prepping his hands on his thighs as he was completely out of breath.

Roman spun around and met Seth's gaze, which turned Seth into a deer in the headlights. Roman, however, was glaring daggers.

"You!" He pointed at Seth with an accusing finger before stomping over to the scared man and picking him up by the collar of his shirt. He flung him into the nearest wall and got in his face.

"What the hell, man!?" Seth asked, appalled and surprised by his former best friend's behavior.

Roman fastened his large hands around Seth's thick neck while tears started gushing down his now swollen and puffy cheeks.

"I trusted you with my girl and my son, Rollins. And you tried to take that away from me, you sorry son of a bitch. You hurt my girl and stressed her out. You took advantage of her and fucked everything up. I should kill you. You killed my son! YOU KILLED MY SON," he yelled furiously, wanting to punch him over and over again but he didn't even have the strength to do so.

It took Dean and several medical personnel to get the big man to let go of his former friend, quickly pushing Seth out of the room so that Roman wouldn't lose his temper completely.

The tension in the waiting room was almost tangible, everyone was shocked about the incidents that had occurred over the last few hours. And the only sounds filling the room were Roman's sobs.

His baby was gone. He would never be able to hold him in his arms. He would never be able to kiss his forehead and tell him just how beautiful he was. He'd wanted to show him how to wrestle or how to play football. There were so many things he'd wanted to do with his son. But he didn't even have the chance to see him. They'd taken him away immediately. And now God took him away for good. Forever.

God? Did God really exist? He doubted it.

He doubted everything.

He suddenly fell down to his knees, burying his hands in his hair, pulling at them firmly before screaming at the top of his lungs:

"Why? WHY?"

But unfortunately nobody would ever be able to answer his question. Never.

…

_**Author's note: Please don't hate me. :( Ugh…I hope you'll still like me though.**_


	24. He's gone, babygirl!

**You have no idea how overwhelmed I was after reading all of your reviews, messages and feedback. 20 reviews? Here we go with a new record.**

**As some of you know I was extremely afraid to post this chapter as it is a very sensitive subject. Thanks to all of you for sticking with me.**

**I know it's sad and shocking, but maybe one day it will make sense for Roman and Karolina.**

**As I said: Thanks so much to each and every one of you for being so amazing.**

"**Enjoy" & review!**

Chapter 24: He's gone, babygirl

"Mr Reigns," the doctor spoke up once again, slowly making his way over to the man that was down on his knees with tears streaming down his face. "Sincere condolences. I'm really sorry about your loss."

Roman wiped his face with the back of his hand, looking up at the doctor and seeing the sincerity in his eyes. His son was gone. He was really gone. He wasn't dreaming. It was really happening. It was cruel reality.

Shannon and Patricia both extended their hands to help Roman up, knowing that the doctor needed to tell him what exactly happened. Their faces were puffy from all the crying. This felt like a nightmare, the worst nightmare imaginable.

"Why?" Roman only asked, his voice almost a whisper.

That was all he wanted and needed to know. Why did his baby die? Why did all of this happen to him? To them?

"His lungs collapsed. This might explain the heart issues we discovered beforehand. Right now we can't tell why exactly this happened. I'm very sorry, Mr Reigns," the doctor explained, swallowing hard.

You would think this was everyday business for a doctor but it certainly wasn't. Telling a parent that their baby died would never be a routine.

"Does...does my fiancée know?" he asked, afraid they told her without him being by her side.

"No, she doesn't. We wanted to check with you if you wanted to inform her or if we should do it. She keeps asking for you," the doctor said, patting the larger man's shoulder in comfort.

Roman just nodded his head before taking a deep breath. He had to tell her. He should be the one telling her about what had happened. He knew she needed him by her side, she needed him to stay strong for her. But then again he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to be the shoulder for her to cry on. He himself needed someone to comfort him. He had lost his son.

"I'm going to tell her now," he announced after the doctor had left the waiting room, leaving him behind with Shannon and his mother.

"Would you like us to be there with you?" Shannon asked, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it lightly.

"No...no...I have to do it by myself," he said, sighing heavily before wiping away the tears that were still falling down his cheeks. "I don't want her to feel cornered. Please give us a few minutes to ourselves."

Shannon just nodded her head while Patricia once again threw herself into his arms, her whole body shaking with sobs. The pain she felt in her heart was unbearable. She had not only lost her grandchild, no, her son had lost his precious little baby. He had been waiting for him for so long but now he was gone.

While Roman slowly made his way to Karo's room a little while later, Dean was talking to Seth in the cafeteria of the hospital after throwing him out of the waiting room just a few minutes ago.

"Dude, seriously, I know you wanted to be here for her when the baby was born but...things are different now. Their baby died and Roman doesn't want you here. Just see it from his point of view..." Dean started but Seth cut him off right away.

"I didn't kill his son. This isn't my fault, Dean. Karo needs me now," Seth countered, clenching his jaw and running a shaky hand through his hair.

"We both know that Karo doesn't really need you now. She needs Roman. She needs her family," he tried to explain, rubbing his eyes and sighing in frustration.

"I AM family, Dean," his friend answered, not understanding why Dean was being so unfair towards him.

Dean took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly for a few moments. He didn't want to be the one to break his heart even more but maybe it was better he made Seth aware of this rather than Roman. Because he was sure that Roman was going to break every single bone he had in his body.

"You have to leave, Seth. You are...you're unwanted here at the moment. Just try to understand, ok? I promise to let you know should anything happen. I'll keep you up to date, bro," he said quietly, feeling horrible to send Seth away but he was sure it was for the best.

Seth looked at his friend with tears in his eyes. He was unwanted. Nobody wanted him to be around. And that hurt. It hurt so unbelievably much that the people he loved the most didn't want to see him. What had he done to deserve this?

"Okay...I...I better get going then, I guess," he said, slowly standing up and looking at his friend unsure. "Dean...I'm...I'm so sorry."

Without saying another word, Dean quickly got up and worked up the courage to hug his friend tightly, his heart breaking in his chest when he heard Seth's sniffling. He didn't want to let him go. He wanted him to stay. He didn't want to send him away. He belonged to them. He was a part of the family.

"Don't be, Seth. This isn't your fault," was all he could say before tightening the hug once again.

After a few more moments he gently let go of him, looking at his friend sympathetically before realizing that he had shed a few tears himself. And that was a first. Dean was a tough guy. He always had been. But now the time had come that even he couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

"I'll text you when I arrive in Iowa," Seth simply said before quickly turning around and making his way out of the cafeteria and out of the hospital.

He would go back to his hometown again. All by himself. While at the same time the people who he loved the most stayed together to process what had just happened. And he would have to do it by himself. Nobody would be there to comfort him. Nobody would wrap their arms around him to tell him that one day everything would be okay for him. He was lonely. He was so alone and heartbroken.

"Dean," somebody said quietly after a few moments, interrupting his thoughts immediately.

He turned around slowly only to see Shannon standing just a few feet away from him. She looked pale, her whole body was quivering and the sadness in her eyes was unmistakable.

He made his way over to her, closing the distance between them before gently wrapping his arms around her so that she could finally let loose. And she did. She broke down in his arms, her whole body shaking uncontrollably with sobs. He ran his hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her as much as he could.

"Shh, everything will be fine, baby," he said softly before kissing the top of her head gently.

But would everything be fine again? Or would things get even worse? Who knew? Nobody knew what was going to happen. All they knew was that they had a long and rocky journey in front of them. And hopefully they could support each other along the way.

**…**

Roman stood in front of Karo's door, his hand on the doorknob but not having the courage to enter the room just yet. He had thought of a million ways to explain to her what had happened but none of them seemed appropriate. But is there even an appropriate way to tell your fiancée that your son had died?

He swallowed hard and took a deep breath before finally entering the room, his eyes immediately finding the love of his life who was lying in her hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and seemingly lost in thought.

"Babygirl," he simply said, his voice almost a whisper.

He felt horrible. He hadn't even told her yet but he already knew that this was going to break her. She would be even more broken than she had been before.

"Roman...finally...where have you been?" she asked, the reproach in her voice unmistakable.

She probably thought he was with Joshua. She must be thinking that that was the reason for him being gone for such a long time. How was he going to tell her that he had been crying his eyes out because their son was dead? How?

He made his way over to her bed, pushed one of the chairs next to it and quickly sat down so that he could face her. How should he even start? Should he simply say what had happened? Or should he beat around the bush?

"What's wrong? You...you look like you've been crying," she asked, looking at him nervously when she noticed that he was fighting the tears. "Roman, what's going on? Where's Joshua? Talk to me."

He could feel that she was staring at him. He knew she was sensing that something was terribly wrong. But did she know just how bad it was? Did she have any idea that Joshua...was gone?

"Listen to me carefully now, babygirl," he started, knowing that he needed to tell her the truth now as he felt that a single tear had escaped his eyes. "You know that they had to do the C-section because Joshua's heart wasn't strong enough, right? And...and when he...when they took him, they immediately noticed that his breathing was irregular. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't breathe on his own..."

"Roman...don't...don't tell me that..." she said but immediately trailed off when she saw that more and more tears were streaming down his face.

"He's gone, babygirl. Joshua is gone. They took our baby away from us," he said quietly, sobbing uncontrollably when the words had finally left his lips.

Now she knew. She knew that her baby wasn't alive anymore. That his heart stopped beating. That he was gone.

Roman looked at her through tears in his eyes and he didn't know what to expect now. Her face was unreadable. She was pale, she had dark circles under her eyes and she looked extremely exhausted. But she had looked like that when he was with her in the delivery room. Nothing had changed.

"No...no no no no," she said, her voice once again rising to an octave. "He is not. Where is he? Bring my baby to me. NOW. I wanna see him!"

Roman tried to grab her hand but she pushed him away. She wanted to get out of her bed, ripping out the infusion needles that were attached to her hand and arm. She needed to see her baby. She wanted to hold him in her arms and sing a lullaby to him. Roman was lying. Their baby wasn't dead.

"Karolina, stop it now," he said sternly, finally getting her attention so that she sat down again, shock written all over her face. "I'm...I'm telling the truth. He's...gone."

She looked at him intently, trying to read his face but all she could see was sadness and hurt. He wasn't lying. He was serious about this. She had lost her son. Her baby had been taken away from her. From them. Forever.

In a matter of just a few seconds, she broke down crying. She couldn't help it anymore. She didn't have the strength to retain her composure. And she didn't have to. She had all the right in the world to cry. She had carried her son below her heart for more than 8 months. She had bonded with him, she had loved him. More than anything. And now? Now he was gone.

Roman quickly wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head and hugging her tightly. He rocked her back and forth, whispering words of comfort into her ear. But she wouldn't stop crying. Although her whole body was shivering, she felt as if she was numb. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that this was happening. It was surreal, this couldn't be true.

"Why? Why did this happen? I don't understand...I...I want my baby back," she cried, grabbing his shirt and shaking him hastily.

And he let her. He let her shake him, hit him, yell at him. He didn't care. She needed to let it all out. She had to cry, she had to scream. He didn't want her to bottle things up. It made him cry even more when seeing her act like that. It once again showed him that this was really happening. He kept asking himself why. He tried to think of reasons that made them deserve to suffer that much. But nothing came to his mind. Nobody deserved anything like this.

"Why?" was the last thing she could scream before she fell limp into his arms.

Roman wished he could give her an answer. He wished somebody would be able to tell him why. But nobody could. Nobody would ever be able to tell them why. Maybe it was their destiny. Maybe this had to happen. There must be a reason behind this. But no reason could ever take the pain away from them. Nothing would ever be able to heal their broken hearts.

**…**

_The room was dim and quiet, the only sounds heard was their heavy breathing. They had been left alone. They didn't want anyone else to be with them now. Roman and Karolina wanted to be alone with him. Joshua, their son. Their baby._

_The doctors had asked them if they wanted to see him before he had to be taken away for good. They still had the possibility to say goodbye. To find peace. And they had decided to go for it._

_Karolina had been unsure the whole time. She didn't know if she had the strength to handle the sight of her dead baby. But she also knew she would regret not doing it. It was her last chance._

_They had dressed him in a baby blue romper suit, his light blond hair was combed to one side and his eyes were closed. He looked as if he was sleeping. But his chest wasn't rising. He wasn't breathing. He looked like an angel. He was an angel._

_They had been told they could hold him in their arms, they could touch him and caress him. It was their baby. And they had every right to say goodbye just the way they wanted to._

_She can still remember how Roman cautiously picked Joshua up, holding him in his arms and kissing his forehead softly. It was a heart-breaking but still warming moment. She had watched him intently, listening to him talking to their son while tears fell down his cheeks._

_"Come here babygirl. Look at him. He's so beautiful," Roman said, pulling her close so that he could wrap one arm around her shoulders while he held Joshua tightly in his other arm._

_"He has your nose," she said quietly, silent tears escaping her eyes when she touched him for the first time._

_His body was so cold that she cringed. It showed her once again that her baby wasn't with them anymore. Her heart was bleeding, it hurt so much. But Roman was right: he was beautiful. A beautiful little angel._

_"And he has your hair," he answered, kissing the top of her head before looking at his son again._

_He wished he could tell which colour his eyes had but he knew that Joshua wouldn't be able to open them. They never would. His eyes would be closed forever._

_"Do you want to hold him in your arms?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper._

_He knew she was unsure about this. He knew that she was afraid of this very moment. But he was sure that it was the right thing to do. Although Joshua's heart wasn't beating anymore, he knew that he would be up there, watching them. They weren't alone. They never ever would be. Their son was watching out for them from a cloud up there in heaven._

_"Yes...I...I would like that," she stuttered, her heart beating fast in her chest._

_She looked at Roman and saw that he was smiling weakly although he still couldn't stop crying. He was so fascinated by his son that he couldn't take his eyes away from him._

_He carefully placed Joshua in Karo's arms, caressing his hair softly before finally letting go of him. He wanted to give Karo a few moments alone with him. Although he knew that he loved his son with all his heart, he also knew that Karo had an even stronger bond with him. A bond nobody else could ever have with a baby other than their mother._

_"Hey little boy, it's me...your mommy," she said quietly, a salty tear dropping softly onto her baby's forehead. "Breathe, babyboy. Please breathe. Come back to me. I need you."_

_Roman swallowed hard while watching the scene in front of him. It was horrible seeing her like that. She was exhausted and deeply saddened. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to see her smile again. He was afraid this would break her. He himself didn't know if he could make it through this traumatic time of his life._

_But he loved Karo. He loved her with everything he had. And Joshua would always be a part of them. Always._

_They needed to be strong for each other. They needed to stay focused and support each other as much as they could. Together they could move mountains. They had to stick together and then everything would be fine again. He was sure about that. It was going to be difficult. And he knew that it would take them a long time to be the ones they had been before all of this had happened. But they were meant to be together. And with her by his side, he knew he could even make it through this crisis._

**…**

It was 3am in the morning when Roman had been woken up by yet another nightmare. It had been seven days since Joshua had been gone but it still felt as if it had happened just yesterday.

He turned around to check on Karo but as always she wasn't lying next to him. She hadn't been sleeping a lot recently. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't sleep and she wouldn't stop crying. It was understandable though. But he still wished she would at least think about her health once in a while.

He slowly got out of the bed, throwing a shirt over his head and quickly leaving their bedroom. He was afraid that she had left without him. He knew she sometimes needed to get away from everything so that she could clear her head but he didn't want her to run around all by herself in the middle of the night.

She wasn't in the bathroom nor was she in the kitchen or the living room.

There was only one more possibility and it was the one that was the most logical: she was in their baby's bedroom.

He quietly made his way to Joshua's room, seeing that the door was slightly opened. He didn't know what to expect. Was she crying? Was she sleeping? What was going on? He breathed in deeply and licked his dry lips, afraid of what was to come. He hated seeing her cry. He hated seeing her so weak and vulnerable. He loved her and he wanted to see her smile again.

He pushed the door open softly, not wanting to startle her. He looked around and saw her sitting in the rocking chair in the far corner of the room, right next to the baby crib.

The only light in the room was the dimming light of the Winnie the Pooh lamp they had bought for Joshua a few weeks before he was born. He looked at her intently and noticed that she was staring into space, probably completely lost in thought.

The last few days had been horrible. After saying goodbye to Joshua and having him buried, she hardly ever talked to him, most of the times she just sat somewhere without speaking a word. She wouldn't let him touch her nor get too close to her. He knew this was her way to work through this. She needed time to think. She needed to be left alone. He just wished he could do something to help her. He had hoped she would open up to him, let him know what was going through her mind. But she kept ignoring him. And that hurt him. He was suffering just as much as she was and he had been praying that they would go through this together. Maybe even hoping it would bring them closer together. But she left him outside alone. She did this on her own.

Without saying another word, he sat down on the ground in front of her rocking chair, looking up at her and seeing a few single tears streaming down her face. One would think that there weren't any tears left to shed, but they simply kept coming. She wished they would stop but they wouldn't.

The silence between them was uncomfortable. But Roman didn't want to speak up first. He would wait until she was ready to talk. And eventually she would be. She wouldn't be able to remain silent for the rest of their lives. He had talked to her about seeing a therapist. Both of them. It would make things easier for them to process their loss. But she didn't even give him an answer. All she did was stare at him.

He had even called Dean and Shannon, asking them to help him and try to talk to Karo but even they couldn't reach her. They all had been sitting together in one room, trying to get her to talk but she simply wouldn't react. They all felt so helpless, but decided then and there that she needed a little more time to finally speak again.

Dean and Shannon decided to stay in Pensacola for another week or two. Patricia had offered them a room in their house so that Roman and Karolina had time and space for themselves. Dean even called Hunter to let him know what had happened while Shannon had immediately deleted her tweet from the day Joshua was born. She knew that a couple of people had read it already but she simply would ignore any questions regarding that matter. Sooner or later people would find out themselves. She didn't want to be the one to let the whole world know that Joshua didn't make it. Now she even regretted posting this tweet in the first place but who would have known that anything like that could happen.

Hunter, as suspected, had reacted just the way they thought he would. He was shocked, not believing what Dean was trying to tell him. At first he didn't even know what to say, not being able to fathom the news he had just received. But after a few moments, he had promised to give them all as much time as they needed. This was a loss that couldn't be forgotten that fast. It never could be forgotten at all and it shouldn't. But they needed time to heal. All of them.

Roman was biting his lip nervously. He wanted to hug her, tell her that everything would be fine. But he was afraid. He was afraid of being rejected, of her pushing him away. He just wanted to show her how much he loved her and that together they could make it through this. He couldn't do it alone. He needed her just as much as she needed him. He was sure of that.

He looked up at her when he felt that she was taking a deep breath. The look in her eyes was empty. But she would speak. He knew that she was finally going to say something. But what she was about to tell him was something he never wanted her to ever say to him.

"I'm going back to Germany," she said out of nowhere, not only breaking the silence but his heart as well.


	25. Where to go, what to do?

**Here I am with a new chapter before making my way to Munich for a WWE house show tomorrow. Unfortunately the Shield won´t be there which makes me extremely sad...somebody gimme a hug :´( lol**

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter (as much as possible lol)!**

**Thanks for all your reviews and messages. You will never know how happy you make me with them! They always put a smile on my face.  
**

**Thank you once again pezziecoyote! You really are such an amazing beta reader. And a huge thank you to everyone supporting this story. You all know who you are 3**

**Enjoy & review, my lovely people!**

**...**

Chapter 25: Where to go, what to do?

**...**

"What do you mean you're going back to Germany?" Roman asked, looking at his fiancée wide-eyed, not being able to fathom what he had just been told.

"I'm leaving, Roman," she said nonchalantly before quickly getting up from the rocking chair she had been sitting in. "There's nothing to still keep me here."

He immediately stood up and followed her into the kitchen, watching her as she took a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing to keep you here? Are you serious? What about me? I love you, Karolina," he said, his voice almost a whisper. He was completely shocked.

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes. She knew he wouldn't understand why she wanted to leave. But he had no idea what she was feeling deep inside. Losing Joshua was killing her. It felt like she was dying herself.

"I love you too, Roman. But maybe that isn't enough. Sometimes love simply isn't enough, you know? Have you ever thought about this being a sign?" she asked before taking a sip of her drink, her eyes never leaving his.

"A sign? What are you talking about? What kind of sign?" he looked at her intently, not believing that he was having this conversation with her in the middle of the night. A conversation that was so essential and important.

"This right here. All of this. The things that happened between me and Seth, losing Joshua..." she said before sighing heavily. "Maybe we're not meant to be, Roman. Maybe this was a sign to tell us that we don't belong together. We...maybe we need to stop seeing each other."

He looked at her shocked, his lips parted as he wanted to say something but no words would escape him. What was she trying to tell him? Was it over? Did she really want to go back to Germany? For good? Was she serious about this?

"Are you...are you...breaking up with me?" he asked, insecurity and fear reflecting in his eyes.

Nervously she ran a shaky hand though her hair. Was she? Was she really ending things with him? She honestly didn't know herself. She had the feeling she needed to get away. Maybe she just wanted to run, hoping she could forget about all the pain. But even that would probably not help. Nothing would help to heal her broken heart.

"It's for the best, Roman," she said quietly, her heart wrenching in her chest when she saw the tears in his eyes.

She hated doing this to him. But maybe that was the right thing to do. Maybe they both had to get away from each other to become happy again. Maybe they would be better off without each other. Who knew?

"No, it's not. Please...don't leave me. I...I need you. Karolina, we can make it through this together. Please...," he said pleadingly, a silent tear streaming down his cheek.

And he wasn't even ashamed of his tears. He had all the right in the world to cry. Not only did he lose his son, no, it seemed as if he was losing his girl as well.

She couldn't leave him. He needed her. He loved her. They belonged together and he was sure that they would survive this. But they needed to stick together and fight. But she didn't even give them a chance. She was giving up before even trying.

"I'm gonna pack my stuff tomorrow and try to get the earliest flight back to Germany," was the last thing she said before quickly passing him and leaving him behind in the kitchen all by himself.

But she wouldn't just leave him in the kitchen, no, she would leave him for good in just a couple of days. He couldn't let that happen. He had to fight for her. He needed to convince her to stay in the States. If she wouldn't stay with him, maybe she would remain in the same country as him. If that was the last thing he would do.

He quickly made his way into the living room, immediately grabbing his cell phone and starting to text a message to Shannon.

_Shannon, I really need your help. It's very important. Karo just told me she wants to go back to Germany. And she is dead serious about this. Please help me. Talk to her. Tell her she needs to stay. Please. I can't lose her as well. They took my baby boy, they can't take her away from me. I wouldn't be able to get over this. I'm losing my strength. This is such a nightmare. I can't take this anymore. Please...Shannon...help me. Roman_

He pressed the 'send' button and hoped that Shannon and Dean were still awake. Considering how late or even early it was, they probably were fast asleep. He couldn't even blame them. He wished he would be able to sleep himself.

He sat down on the couch, burying his head in his hands and taking a deep breath.

He thought about everything that had happened during the last seven days. Karo going into early labor, the C-section, Joshua being gone, Seth appearing out of nowhere...and then saying goodbye to their son. And now here was his fiancée telling him she wants to go back to a country thousands of miles away and breaking things off with him. It was unbelievable. Everything seemed so surreal.

His life was worse than a nightmare. It was a cruel and sad reality. He still wished someone would pinch him and wake him up, telling him that he just had a bad dream. But that wasn't going to happen. It never was.

After a few more moments, the beeping of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts, immediately bringing him back to the sad reality he was living in.

It was a message from Shannon. Thankfully she was still awake.

_She WHAT? That's not gonna happen. I will not let her get away with that. Where is she now!? Is she still there? We'll be there in the morning. Don't let her leave until then. She probably feels like getting away right now but we all know it's not a wise decision. Let me talk to her. Don't worry, Roman. We're here for you. Please never forget that. Everything's gonna be fine. Shan + Dean xx_

He sighed heavily and leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes. He hoped that either Shannon or Dean could convince her to stay. But deep down he was afraid that Karo would still leave. She could be really stubborn about things like that. But if she was really going to leave, then he was sure that they were done. And the thought alone hurt him incredibly much.

He couldn't lose her. She was the love of his life. What would he even do without her? He would be lost. His life wouldn't make sense anymore. He needed her in his life. Why didn't she understand this?

**...**

It was early the next morning that Roman was woken by the doorbell. He had fallen asleep on the couch, not wanting to put her under pressure by sleeping in a bed with her. Maybe she needed some time to herself to think things through. Maybe it was easier for her to think without him by her side constantly.

He still had no idea why she wanted to leave. Didn't she love him anymore? Did he do something wrong? What was it that made her decide this without talking to him about it beforehand? It was devastating.

He shook his head frantically, wanting to get rid of these thoughts while slowly making his way over to the front door, opening it after rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Hey big man. Is she still here?" Shannon asked before quickly hugging her Samoan friend and passing him to get into the house as fast as she could.

"I guess she's still upstairs. I crashed on the couch last night. I thought giving her some space might help," he said truthfully before fist-bumping Dean who was following behind.

"I'll go check on her. You guys might as well prepare breakfast in the meantime. I'm fucking hungry," Shannon said, not even turning around to look at them and quickly making her way upstairs, taking two steps at a time.

She took a deep breath before softly knocking on the bedroom door, listening closely to see if Karo was still asleep or if she was awake already.

"Roman, I really don't wanna..." Karo started but trailed off when seeing one of her best friends in front of her. "What are you doing here, Shan?"

She quickly turned around again, rummaging in her closet to sort out the clothes she needed to take with her in her suitcase. The other stuff would go back to Germany in a container soon. She only needed the most important things for the first few weeks.

"The question is what are YOU doing here?" she snapped, closing the suitcase and sitting down on top of it.

"Packing my stuff?" Karo more asked than stated, not wanting to be bothered by her friend's stupid questions when it was pretty obvious what she was doing.

"I can see that, smartass," she scoffed, rolling her eyes at her. "And why are you doing it?"

Shannon looked at her friend intently, knowing her well enough to understand that Karo didn't have any idea herself. And she would make her see it as well.

"I'm going back home. Where I belong." was all she said, putting her clothes on the bed while her friend stubbornly kept on sitting on the suitcase.

"You belong with Roman and nowhere else," she tried to reason, but Karo simply ignored her.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them and the tension was almost unbearable. Karo had put a wall around her and it was difficult for Shannon to get through but she wouldn't give up that easily. She had promised Roman to try everything she could to convince her to stay.

"Karo, don't run. It's doesn't make sense. I know why you're doing this. You think that if you go back to Germany that you can forget about all of this. But that's not gonna happen. Joshua is gone and you can't undo it, even if you go back to Europe. You can't escape your problems or your pain if you move somewhere else. It will follow you wherever you go. You're not alone in this. Yes, you carried that baby inside of you for more than 8 months, but Roman suffers just as much as you do. I don't wanna say you're selfish, but you're not thinking about him either way. You guys need to stick together," she explained, hoping she could finally reach Karo with her words.

But she just scoffed, shaking her head with a fake and mocking smile on her face before continuing to put clothes on the bed.

"Just stop it now, ok? You have no idea how I'm feeling right now, so don't fucking act like it," she said through gritted teeth, the anger in her voice unmistakable.

"You know what? You're right. I have no fucking idea how you're feeling. I will never understand what you are going through. But I don't want to see you fall apart. You and Roman both need each other. You can't just run away. That's the easiest but not the best way," she countered, watching intently how her friend tried to act as she was convinced that her actions made sense.

She kept a straight face, pulling open drawers and throwing things onto the bed while running a hand over her face in exhaustion.

And that was when it happened. She broke down, falling onto her knees and sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't have the strength anymore to retain her composure. She couldn't keep lying to herself anymore. Who was she kidding?

"I have to go, Shannon. I can't stay here any longer. I...I...," she tried to explain but couldn't complete her sentence as tears were streaming down her face, her whole body shaking with sobs.

Shannon was next to her in record time, wrapping her arms around her friend and rocking her back and forth, trying to soothe her as much as she could. It was horrible seeing her like that and she wished she could take away all the pain but deep down she knew that there was nothing she could really do.

"Why, sweetie? Why do you think you have to go?" she asked, wanting to understand where her friend was coming from.

Maybe then she could help her. Maybe together they could find a solution to all of this if she would let her know what was going on inside of her head.

"Everything here reminds me of him. Joshua...I miss him so unbelievably much. I keep sitting in his room every day. I...I can't stay here. I need to get away. I need space," she confessed while tears were streaming down her face.

Shannon sighed heavily, a huge lump forming in her throat. She couldn't even imagine how hard it must be to be reminded of your dead baby every day. Not only was the thought stuck in her head, but she had to pass her baby's room constantly and that must be horrible.

"Do you still love Roman?" she asked, hoping her friend would give her a positive answer.

She had never seen two people who were so madly in love with each other like Karolina and Roman. They were meant for each other. And that wouldn't change any time soon. Or at least she hoped so.

"Yes...yes. I still love him. With all my heart. But that doesn't change the fact that we need a break. Instead of strengthening each other, we keep dragging each other own," she admitted, another wave of tears running down her cheeks. "Let me go, Shannon. Let me go back home."

Shannon closed her eyes tightly before hugging her friend even closer. The pain she felt must be unbearable. They all felt heartbroken after losing Joshua but nobody would ever know how hurt Karo must be.

"Okay," Shannon said all of a sudden. "Okay, I'll let you go home. Home as in San Francisco. Let's go back there. I'll go with you. You and me. Don't go away that far. Let's try to cheer you up over there. And if that doesn't work out, you still can go back to Germany. Deal?" she looked at her friend hopefully and it killed her to see her that sad and exhausted.

"I don't know, Shan. I think I'd rather go back to Germany. I think I...," she started to answer but she was cut off quickly.

"Give it a try. Please. Don't throw it all away. Come on, don't give up that easily," she tried to convince her, feeling how Karo finally became weak.

"You're going to stay with me? But what about Dean? Don't you wanna be on the road with him? " she asked, considering what her friend had just told her.

"Dean will understand. Nobody wants you to go back to Europe. You're part of our family, sweetheart. Please...go back with me to San Fran. You and me, like in good old times. What do you say?" she questioned, hoping she was able to convince her best friend.

Karolina looked at Shannon intently, thinking about her words over and over again. Should she? Would it be a good idea to clear her head back in California? Maybe it was. Maybe it was better than completely running away.

"Yes...okay...let's do it. But promise me that you'll let me go if it doesn't work out, ok!?" she asked, smiling weakly when her friend nodded her head in agreement.

"Perfect. Okay...look, let's go downstairs and tell the boys," Shannon announced, kissing her forehead softly before slowly getting up, extending her hands to her friend.

"Dean's here as well?" she asked, taking her hands and standing up as well, wiping her tears away hastily.

"Yeah...he's preparing breakfast with Roman. Come on, let's get this over with. It's only fair to let Roman know. He's afraid of losing you, Karo," she explained, making her friend aware of the fact that the situation at hand was extremely serious.

"But he is kinda losing me, Shan," she countered, breathing in heavily with her heart feeling heavy in her chest.

One way or another she was going to leave him. She would go to California while he stayed in Florida. They were going to be separated and in a sense that meant losing each other. Who would have thought something like that would happen just a few months ago?

"But it will make him feel better knowing that you're with me. It will give him hope. And you both love each other. I know you will get back together," she said confidently, smiling at her friend sweetly.

Karo just nodded her head and smiled back weakly. She wasn't sure if this was still going to happen but hope died last, right?

Together they made their way downstairs, Karo's heart beating fast in her chest. She was nervous, not sure how Roman was going to react to the news. But hopefully he would be relieved. Then again it didn't matter how he felt about it. She was going to do it no matter what he was about to say. It was her own decision and nobody could do anything about it.

"Hey guys. That smells wonderful," Shannon said after entering the kitchen, pulling Karo with her as she had her hand in hers, not wanting to let her go.

"Bacon and pancakes," Roman simply said, not even looking at Shannon but staring at Karo intently.

It was Karo's favorite breakfast. She loved bacon and especially during her pregnancy she had been craving for it even more. He remembered that and hoped it would help her to make the right decision. And the right decision was to have her stay with him in Pensacola.

"Sounds good. Come on...let's start, I'm starving," she said and quickly sat down next to Dean, giving him a peck on the lips and thereby making Karo sit next to Roman.

The tension between them was indescribable. It felt as if they didn't know each other. As if they were strangers. It was a sad fact considering the past they were sharing with each other.

"So, Karo and I had a discussion earlier and I'm positive we found a good solution," Shannon said nonchalantly, immediately getting everyone's attention.

Dean and Roman looked at Shannon expectantly while Karo sipped at her orange juice nervously. She didn't want to tell them about the outcome but it seemed like everybody expected her to.

"Spill the beans, for fuck's sake," Roman said impatiently, not being able to bear the uncomfortable silence that was between them.

Karo looked at Shannon pleadingly, hoping she would tell them as she didn't have the strength. She had lost all of her strength seven days ago and was praying that soon she would feel at least a little strong again.

"We've decided that she's going back with me to San Francisco. I'll stop being on the road with you guys until she feels better," she explained, looking at Dean apologetically but he just nodded his head as he completely understood.

And Dean really understood. Karo needed her now. More than ever. He wanted her and Roman to get back together, even if that meant that he had to be without her for a little while. He would miss her. Extremely. But he knew that Shannon trusted him as much as he trusted her. Their love for each other was strong enough to survive this. For the sake of their friends' relationship.

"So you're not going back to Germany?" Roman asked, directing his question to his fiancée, if he could still call her like that.

"Not yet. I wanna see how I feel when I'm back in California," she answered, not being able to look into his eyes.

She knew that looking into his eyes would make her weak. It would break her heart even more and she really couldn't take that any longer.

"Why don't you stay with me Karolina? Why don't you give us another chance, babygirl? I don't understand," he said, relieved that she decided to stay in the States but still hurt she would leave him.

"I need to get away from here. Don't you get it, Roman?" she suddenly yelled, finally losing her patience. "I can't stay here. Everything keeps reminding me of Joshua. He should be here now. Crying, needing me to feed him...with me singing a lullaby to him. This house is so empty without him. My heart is empty..."

Once again she couldn't stop the tears that escaped her eyes. She hated to talk to him like that but maybe being honest with him would help them to work out the things that were bothering them.  
She hadn't talked to him for almost fours days. She had kept everything to herself, not being able to share her thoughts with him. It wasn't fair. She knew it but there was nothing she could do about it. She just couldn't help it.

"I can sell the house. We'll buy another one. Karo, please...don't go," he once again pleaded, taking her hand into his and kissing it softly.

"Keep the house, Roman! I'm not even sure if I'm ever gonna come back," she said honestly, once again breaking his heart into a million pieces.

"You might not come back?" he asked sadly, a huge lump forming on his throat.

She couldn't do that. She couldn't leave him. They wanted to get married. Or didn't they? He didn't understand. He simply didn't. Why was she doing this to him? He sincerely doubted her love for him. How could she love him and be acting like this?

"Maybe I will. Maybe. I'm not really sure," she replied, letting go of his hand and slowly getting up. "Now if you'll excuse me...I need to pack my stuff."

And with that she went out of the room. And maybe even out of his life. For good. He was heartbroken. Once again.


	26. So lonely without you

**Sooooo, there is another chapter for you wonderful people.**

**As always a huge thank you to all you readers, reviewers and followers. I don't know if we would be at chapter 26 if it wasn't for you. This story is as much yours at it is mine.**

**Enough blabla from my part, now onto the next chapter :)**

**Oh, and the song mentioned in this chapter is "Broken" by Seether. Check it out ;)**

**Enjoy & review!**

Chapter 26: So lonely without you

_"Well...I guess this is it now," Roman said quietly, taking her suitcase out of his car after arriving at the airport in Pensacola early in the morning._

_Dean and Shannon had already said their goodbyes to Roman, wanting to leave him and Karo alone for a while so that they could share a few more moments together. They hoped that maybe Karo would still change her mind. But it was to no avail._

_"Yeah, I guess it is," she replied, instantly looking to the ground nervously as she was not able to keep the eye-contact. "I...uhm...I'll text you when we're back in Cali."_

_He just nodded his head and an uncomfortable silence fell over them, neither one of them knowing what else to say. It was an awkward and tense situation as they both had no idea if this was goodbye forever._

_"So..." he said, breaking the silence after a few moments and shyly taking her hand into his, intertwining their fingers gently. "I hope you'll come back soon. I...I want you to be happy again, Karolina. And if that means I have to let you go for now, then that's fine with me. But please... come back."_

_She finally had the courage to lift her head and look up at him, the look in his eyes reflecting pure sadness and fear. And that broke her heart. She hated seeing him like that. She wanted him to smile. She wanted him to be cheerful and happy. But she had broken him. She had ruined everything. She simply didn't deserve him._

_"I can't and I don't want to make any promises, Roman," she started before taking a deep breath. "I need time and so do you."_

_"All I need is you," he said quickly, softly squeezing her hand and looking at her with a pleading look on his face. "Please, don't leave me. Please don't."_

_He had told himself to be strong. He didn't want to cry. He really didn't want to make a scene. But he couldn't help it. Here she was, the love of his life, and she was about to leave him. And he had no idea if she was leaving for good. But one thing he knew for sure: it absolutely felt like it._

_"Please let me go now, Roman. Don't make this even more complicated than it already is," she whispered, the tears finally escaping her eyes._

_She locked eyes with him again and couldn't suppress the sobbing when she saw how single tears were streaming down his cheeks. He looked so heartbroken, so lost. She wanted to hug him and tell him that she wasn't going to leave, that she would stay with him. But she couldn't. She had to leave. She needed to leave._

_"Goodbye Karolina," he said, his voice almost a whisper._

_He didn't know if the next move was a smart one but he couldn't just let her go like this. Not if he didn't know if she was coming back or not._

_He slowly moved closer to her, his eyes still fixed on hers while he cautiously closed distance between them. The tension between them was indescribable, almost tangible._

_"Roman..." she panted after realizing what he was about to do but she wouldn't stop him. She couldn't._

_She wasn't able to move, she felt as if she was paralyzed. She wanted this, she really did. And although she knew that this would make things even worse, she simply couldn't reject him._

_She could feel his breath on her skin, his nose touching hers. Feeling him sent chills up and down her spine, her heart was beating uncontrollably fast in her chest now. She loved him, she loved him so much. She just wished things were easier for them._

_She held her breath when his lips finally touched hers, his hands cupping her cheeks so that she couldn't back away. This felt good. This felt so incredibly right. She had missed his touches, his kisses, his soft lips. She missed him already. But she had to go, there was no turning back now._

_After kissing him back once, she gently broke the kiss, pushing him away softly to let him know that she wanted to go now._

_"Take care, Roman. I'll see you around," she said in a husky voice, glancing up at him once more before taking her suitcase and quickly making her way into the airport. And out of his life._

_**...**_

This scene replayed in his head over and over again. Roman would never forget that day. The day when he had to say goodbye. The day his whole life had changed. The day he had lost it all.

It had already been three weeks and all he had heard from her was a text message telling him that she had arrived in San Francisco safely.

Dean called him once in a while to tell him how she was doing and it seemed she felt just as miserable as he was. He had decided to go back to work soon. It killed him to sit at home constantly, thinking about Karolina. And thinking about Joshua. He missed him so incredibly much and he wished he could hold him in his arms. He wanted them to be a family. He needed them, both Joshua and Karo. But now he had nothing. He was all alone; he was so lonely.

_I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away  
I keep your photograph, I know it serves me well  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

He held a picture of them in his hand, not taking his eyes off of it. They were smiling, his arms wrapped tightly around her midsection from behind while she leaned back into his broad frame.

That picture had been taken in happy times. She hadn't been pregnant back then. They probably had been dating for a few weeks. And now all of this was over. They were done. He could feel it deep inside.

_'Cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

If she would only call him. Or simply send a text message. He just wanted to know if she still loved him. Did she still have feelings for him? And how had she been coping with Joshua's death? He had no idea how she was dealing with everything. Although Dean had told him how she was, it still didn't tell him if she was seeing someone. Professionally. He had been thinking about going to a therapist with her. He wouldn't do it alone though. He was sure that time would heal all wounds and that he could come to terms with the sad fact that his son was gone one day, but he was afraid that Karolina was having a way more difficult time accepting this.

_The worst is over now and we can breathe again  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away  
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

He wanted to help her. He wanted to be her shoulder to cry on, the one to wipe away her tears and tell her that everything would be fine again. But she didn't even give him a chance to be that person. She erased him out of her life and her ignorance was what hurt him the most.

He had given her all the time she needed. He neither called nor texted her. He let her be. He wanted her to clear her mind and be the one to get back to him. But she never did. And he had had enough of it. He hated waiting for her to contact him. He hated suffering because of her. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that they still hurt each other although they had already been heartbroken before.

With a heavy sigh he took out his cell phone and contemplated whether to send her a message or not. Would it be too early? Did she still need more time? He shook his head immediately, knowing that three weeks should be enough for her to make up her mind. All he wanted to know was if there was still a chance for them.

**…**

_*I know I probably shouldn't write you, but I can't help it. I miss you, Karolina. I love you. I have no idea how you're feeling. It's killing me that you don't even let me know how you're doing. I just want to know if there will ever be another chance for us. Please answer me, babygirl. Roman xx*_

She read his text message over and over again, tears streaming down her face when she realized how much she was hurting him. But she didn't even mean to do it. She just wanted to give them both the time they needed. And she had the feeling she still needed more time. She wasn't ready yet. She felt like she never would be again.

Yes, she loved him. And yes, she missed him. But maybe that didn't mean anything. Maybe they were so used to being with each other that the first few weeks alone were the most difficult ones. They would get over it. One day they both could be happy again. But maybe not with each other. Maybe they were better off _without_ each other.

She had no idea if she ever could go back to Pensacola. She didn't even know if she would ever wrestle for the WWE again. The thought of going back to Germany was still in the back of her mind and she would lie if she said she didn't consider it anymore.

"Why are you crying, sweetie?" Shannon asked, appearing out of nowhere and sitting down next to Karo on the living room couch of their San Francisco apartment.

Without saying another word, Karo handed her friend the cell phone and let her read the message she had just received from Roman.

"Why don't you just call him?" she asked softly after reading it, sighing heavily and running a hand through her friend's long blonde hair. "It's obvious you two miss each other. Give him a chance, babe."

Karolina's whole body was shaking uncontrollably as she couldn't stop sobbing. She knew that Shannon was right. But she just couldn't call him or text him. She didn't want to do anything but cry and sleep.

She had been depressed ever since they took her baby boy away from her. She felt empty and numb, the only thing she felt was sadness. She didn't see a sense in life anymore. And she more than once wished she would just die. It was selfish but it was the harsh truth. She had lost everything. She had lost her baby, the love of her life and her best friend.

"I can't, Shan. I just can't," she sniffled, moving closer to her friend and throwing herself into her arms, needing her support and comfort.

She was thankful that she was there for her 24/7. She had no idea where she would be if it wasn't for Shannon. She probably wouldn't even drink or eat if she hadn't been around.

"You love him, Karo. And you miss him just as much. Stop torturing yourself," she countered, kissing her forehead softly and taking a deep breath.

This whole situation was exhausting for them both. For the last three weeks all Shannon had heard were things such as _'I miss Roman'_, _'I love Roman'_, _'I want my baby back'_ and _'I wish I could turn back time'_.

And apparently this was the same Dean had been hearing from Roman. They both obviously loved each other but neither of them would make the first move. What were they waiting for? Why were they acting like this? Didn't they see what they were doing to each other? It was unbelievable.

Then an idea popped into Shannon's mind, a huge smile spreading across her face. She had to bring them together herself if they both were too stubborn to do it on their own. But she needed Dean's help for her plan.

_I'm such a genius_, she thought to herself while holding Karo tight and whispering into her ear that everything was going to be okay soon.

And she hoped that it was really going to happen.

**...**

"Hey, how's it, sweet cheeks?" Dean asked after picking up the phone on the third ring, the caller ID on the display showing him that it was his girlfriend calling him.

It was strange touring all by himself. It actually wasn't anything new to him, he had been doing it a lot when he was still wrestling in the Indies and he also had a lot of friends within the WWE, but being without Roman and Seth was weird.

"Hey baby. Well, I'm okay, I guess. I'm so done with Karo, to be honest. She keeps whining about how much she misses Roman and it's seriously driving me crazy," she said, letting out a heavy sigh before plopping down onto her bed.

"Tell me about it. Roman keeps calling and texting me constantly. I'm so sick of that shit," he complained, running a hand through his short hair annoyed.

He really loved his friends and he was happy he had them in his life but the drama between Roman and Karolina was too much for him to handle. He had never been one for relationship issues, one reason why he didn't want to date Shannon in the first place, but now he was caught in the middle and he couldn't just get away from it that easily.

"Which made me think," she started with a grin on her face which he unfortunately couldn't see. "So, we're both annoyed by them crying their eyes out over something they could easily change themselves, right? Well, I'm not listening to their crap any longer. We're going to settle this ourselves."

"Which means?" he asked confused, having no idea where his girlfriend was going with this.

"Which means that we're going to do some kind of an intervention," she simply said, mentally patting her own shoulder for her awesome idea.

"An intervention? Like, locking them up in a room and only letting them out once they've talked things through? Why?" he questioned, not believing that her plan was such a good idea if he was honest.

"Why? I can tell you why. Because I want Seth to be there as well," she answered bluntly, giving Dean a few moments to let this sink in.

And he honestly needed these few moments. He needed them so that he could fathom what she had just told him. She wanted to bring them all together? In one room? Roman, Karolina and... Seth?

"Do you really think this is such a good idea? Roman's gonna kill him, babe," he retorted, a frown on his face.

He knew how much anger was still left in Roman. He would beat the living shit out of Seth in a heartbeat if he saw him. And that was something Karolina most definitely didn't want to see. He didn't either.

"Dean, they can't keep doing this. They are hurting each other and they need to talk things through. All three of them. Soon you guys will have to work together again and I don't think it's helpful if Seth and Roman still hate each other then," she tried to reason, knowing that she was right and that he would soon realize that as well.

"How are we gonna do this?" he asked after a while, considering her idea before deciding he wanted to give it a try. They had nothing to lose.

"I'm gonna tell Karo that you're giving up your apartment in Cincinnati as you're never there. So I ask her if she could help me pack your stuff. You do the same with Roman and Seth, individually of course. And boom, we have them all there at the same place, at the same time. It's just that easy," she explained, proud of herself and hoping that he would agree with her.

Dean took a few moments to gather his thoughts, thinking about her plan and nodding his head in approval.

"Sounds awesome. Let's do this," he simply said, relieved that soon he had his friends back.

Hopefully.

**…**

"Why can't he just hire a moving company, for god's sake? It's not as if he doesn't have the money," Karo explained while retrieving some porn magazines which were hidden under Dean's bed. "Ugh, that's disgusting."

Shannon looked over to where her friend was kneeling on the ground, giggling when she saw the expression on her face.

"Nobody asked you to rummage under his bed, babe. But hey, let me check them," she said before quickly making her way over to her friend and grabbing the magazines away from her. "Oh my God, they seem pretty used."

They both started giggling when Shannon tried to skim through the pages but some seemed to be a little _sticky_.

It was the first time in about four weeks that Karo had laughed heartily. It was the first time she was able to forget about everything and just be the girl she always had been. And she had to thank Dean for that. Dean and his...masturbation preferences.

"Just throw them away. That really is fucked up, literally," Karo said with a mischievous smile on her face.

Shannon was happy to see her friend like that. She just hoped that in about 30 minutes she would still have that same carefree smile on her face as she had now. She knew that Seth was already on his way to Dean's apartment as he had texted her earlier that he had taken a cab at the airport while Dean was on his way there to pick up Roman who had already landed only 15 minutes after his former best friend.

Shannon was nervous. She wanted everything to work out. But if things went the wrong way, then she would have to witness a bloody brawl in the middle of Dean's living room and that was something she didn't even want to imagine.

"So, he's really willing to give up his apartment and therefore his independence to only be with you? That's actually kinda cute, considering the fact that not too long ago he didn't want anything to do with you other than fucking you," Karo scoffed, wanting to be happy for her friend but at the same time being reminded that her own relationship was ruined.

"Not too long ago? It's been a few months already, Karo. And it doesn't make sense for us to have two homes when most of the time we're on the road. He can simply stay with me when he has a few days off," she replied, throwing the porn magazines into a trash can at the same time and wiping her hands on her jeans.

"You meant he can stay with us," Karo corrected, opening his nightstand drawers but quickly shutting them again after seeing the sex toys he had in there. He was such a freak.

"No, I actually meant he can stay with me. You're going back to Pensacola soon, sweetie," she said sternly, looking at her friend intently.

"I really don't wanna discuss this with you now. You can't force me into going back there and you know that. The apartment in San Fran is still partly mine," Karo snapped, opening Dean's closet and pulling out clothes only to throw them on the bed.

"Karo, listen to me please. I just..." Shannon started but the ringing on the doorbell stopped her immediately.

"Uhm...that's probably the postman. Why don't you go to the kitchen and get us something to drink?" Shannon asked, grabbing her friend's hand and shoving her out of Dean's bedroom gently before they parted ways.

She waited until Karo had disappeared in the kitchen before quietly opening the door, a smile on her face when she saw that it was Seth who had finally arrived.

"Hey sunshine, how's it?" he asked, looking at her wide-eyed when she silenced him by placing her finger over his lips.

"Shh, come with me. I have a surprise for you," she replied quickly, her heart pounding loudly in her chest due to her excitement.

She knew that this was the less dangerous part of their intervention that day. Seth and Karo didn't hate each other, quite the contrary. They probably even missed each other just as much as Roman missed Karo. She was positive they would be happy to see each other again.

"A surprise? You found any pics I could use to blackmail Dean? That would be awesome," he chuckled after she had closed the front door behind them.

"Almost as good. Now come on," she said, taking his hand into hers and hastily dragging him to the kitchen, entering the room before he could.

"There you are. I thought the postman had...oh my God," Karo said, letting her glass fall to the floor after noticing that Seth was standing just a few feet away from her, making the glass shatter into hundreds of pieces.

"Karolina," he simply said, a huge lump forming in his throat.

He didn't know what else to say or what to do. All he could do was stare at her. And although she looked pale and exhausted, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world for him. And... she wasn't pregnant. He couldn't even remember seeing her without a baby bump for the last time. It seemed like ages ago.

"Seth...why...how...I mean..." she stuttered, looking at Shannon confused. "Did you set this up, Shan?"

Both Seth and Karo looked at her expectantly and she wasn't sure about them being too happy about her plan anymore. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and wished that Dean was by her side now. How could she even explain to them what was still going to happen? They would both run away immediately.

"Guys, it's about damn you finally clear the air. How long do you wanna keep doing this? You clearly miss each other and if you want to work in one team again in a few weeks, then you have to work things out," she said, sensing that they were both lost in each other's stares now.

Karo opened her mouth to answer but was suddenly interrupted by Dean who seemingly had just entered the apartment.

"Ladiiiiies, we're home," he yelled, earning a confused look by Roman just as Shannon did by Karo and Seth.

"We?" Karo asked puzzled, a frown on her face while she looked back and forth between Seth and Shannon who only shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"We're in the kitchen, babe," Shannon yelled back, taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, expecting the worst.

The footsteps were coming closer, she could hear Dean talk to Roman and by the looks on the faces of Seth and Karo they did as well.

"Shan..." she started but trailed off as soon as Roman had entered the kitchen behind Dean, their eyes immediately meeting.

The world stood still. It was Roman and Karolina. And no one else. Nothing else mattered but them. It had been four weeks since they had seen each other and right in this very moment they both finally realized just how much they had missed each other.

"What's going on here?" was all Seth needed to say to interrupt their thoughts after a few moments, the tension in the room almost unbearable for him.

But not only did he interrupt their thoughts, no, he also woke the anger that was still burning deep inside Roman. An anger that was begging for its release. _Now_.


End file.
